In October 2011, our Pioneer Valley neighbor Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) established a zero-interest emergency loan fund in response to the damage suffered by farms in Western Massachusetts due to Hurricane Irene. Since then, the Emergency Farm Fund has made dozens of loan totaling nearly $500,000 to farms struggling to meet their immediate needs in the aftermath of various weather-related challenges
including flooding, drought, an unexpected freeze, and excessive rains.
Equity Trust provided fund administration for the first several rounds of emergency loans CISA made, and we continue to participate on the fund’s loan review committee, evaluating applications for assistance.