The Farmer Fund

The Farmer Fund was established as a safety net for local and organic farmers to overcome setbacks wrought by natural disasters or health crises. The fund is managed by Georgia Organics to assist farmers that feed the state of Georgia primarily through farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), and restaurant sales – a foundational element in the supply chain of healthy food to our local communities.

Georgia farmers facing a natural disaster or medical emergency and in need of emergency support.

Qualifying Natural Disaster Criteria:

• Any weather-related event including hurricanes, tornados, storms, flooding, wind damage, freezes, excessive heat, etc, that results in significant damage to crops, equipment, or infrastructure.

• Farm owners must be in business for 6 months before applying.

• Farm owners must apply within 60 days of the weather event.

Qualifying Natural Disaster Criteria

• Any medical emergency including physical injury, physical illness, mental illness, or death in the family that results in a sudden and unexpected loss of work and/or income for a farm employee or farm owner.

• Chronic injuries and illness are not covered by this fund.

• Medical emergencies don’t have to take place at work to qualify.

• Farm owners must have been in business for 6 months before the medical emergency to apply.

• Farm workers must have been employed for 6 months before the medical emergency to apply.

• You must apply within 60 days of the medical crisis.

Requirements:

• Be a Farmer Member of Georgia Organics (for more info on membership, click here)

• Be an established Georgia-based producer/grower (not a reseller).

• Farm using soil-based, sustainable production practices.

• Sell to the public through a farmers market, CSA, wholesale outlet, or restaurants that serve Georgia families.

No per-farmer award amount, rate or cap is published — the fund states only that a cap exists. One of the general qualifying criteria is that you must "Not have already met the annual cap for Emergency Relief funds," but the dollar figure of that annual cap is not disclosed anywhere on the site. For scale rather than as an award figure: "Since 2018, more than $490,000 in direct support has been accessed by farmers."

There is no cost-share or match, and no repayment — this is direct relief, not a loan.

The conditions that actually decide whether you get paid are timing and membership, not money:

• You must "Be a current, active Farmer Member of Georgia Organics."

• Farm owners "must be in business for 6 months before applying"; farm workers must have been "employed for 6 months before the medical emergency."

• 60-day clock, strictly applied: "Farm owners must apply within 60 days of the weather event" for disaster aid, and "You must apply within 60 days of the medical crisis" for medical aid.

What it will not pay for: "As of 2026, this fund does not cover the loss of crops or livestock due to pests, predators, drought, or lack of infrastructure, or the loss of sales due to anything outside of a natural disaster or medical emergency." Medical aid excludes "chronic injuries and illness, medical bills."

Apply through the farm-owner or farm-employee relief forms at thefarmerfund.org/apply. Note that specific relief tracks close: applications for Hurricane Helene and for the Nov. 2025 SNAP/EBT loss are no longer accepted (SNAP/EBT relief closed January 12, 2026).

• Farm Owner Application

• Farm Employee Application