As farmers ramp up their planting, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch is highlighting some of the resources available to help them through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the initiatives the Indiana Grown department has undertaken is identifying those farmers with produce and then connecting them to food banks and to food pantries, so we are currently working on that and undertaking that effort,” she said during state officials’ COVID-19 press conference Wednesday. Crouch also said that economic development officials are helping agribusiness and producers understand the financial resources that are available.
Governor Eric Holcomb added that state is also working to get help from the federal government. “We’re constantly advocating – you saw some recent announcements from Secretary [Sonny] Perdue of Ag in Washington, D.C. – working with them to make sure that our farming community, our agricultural community is included in these discussions, in terms of making sure that they have a bridge, as well, to the other side,” Holcomb said.
Crouch also highlighted the resources available for homeowners and renters. Qualified homeowners can get up to six months of mortgage payment assistance through Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority has issued a resource guide for Hoosiers facing eviction or foreclosure.
