PA Fruit Grower Freeze Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant

The PA Fruit Grower Freeze Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant is a Pennsylvania state-funded disaster recovery program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Governor Josh Shapiro secured up to $10 million for the program through the 2026-27 state budget. The funding is intended to provide relief to Pennsylvania fruit growers whose crops sustained significant damage from freezing temperatures between April 1 and April 21, 2026. The program responds specifically to losses associated with that freeze event and is focused on helping affected growers recover from crop production losses. The program is available to Pennsylvania growers that experienced at least a 30 percent loss of expected production of an eligible crop as a result of freezing temperatures during the designated April 1 through April 21, 2026 period. Eligible crops identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture include pome fruits, such as apples, pears, and other pome fruits; stone fruits, such as peaches, cherries, and other stone fruits; grapes; and berries. The supplied program information does not establish additional applicant organization-type requirements beyond identifying eligible applicants as Pennsylvania growers meeting the crop-loss threshold and crop requirements. Up to $10 million in total relief is available through the program. The supplied information does not state a minimum or maximum award amount for an individual grower, the expected number of awards, an award calculation formula, or a required applicant cost share or matching contribution. It also does not specify allowable expense categories, reimbursement limitations, indirect cost rules, individual award periods, or other spending restrictions. Applicants should therefore rely on the official program guidelines and application instructions for any requirements concerning the calculation, documentation, or permitted use of an individual grant award. Applications are accepted beginning Monday, August 24, 2026 and must be submitted no later than Monday, September 21, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture encourages eligible growers to review the program guidelines and application instructions before applying. Applications may be submitted electronically to RA-AGFREEZEREIMBURSE@pa.gov or sent by U.S. mail to the attention of Jake Tatge at the PA Department of Agriculture, 2301 N. Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the supplied information. The materials identified for the program include the application, the Governor's letter concerning the Crop Freeze Disaster Declaration, Secretary Redding's letter to Pennsylvania specialty crop producers, and a document identifying Pennsylvania counties covered by USDA disaster declarations for the April 2026 freeze. Additional resources listed include Penn State Extension resources, crop insurance information for Pennsylvania fruit crops, the USDA Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Risk Management Agency specialty crop information, USDA disaster assistance program information, and the Farm Service Agency Tree Assistance Program. The supplied information does not specify formal application evaluation criteria, scoring factors, review procedures, award notification dates, or a performance period. The application window is open from August 24 through September 21, 2026, making the opportunity active as of August 24, 2026. No recurring annual, biennial, quarterly, or other repeat application cycle is stated, so the program is treated as a one-time disaster recovery opportunity based on the supplied information. Questions may be directed to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture through the program email at RA-AGFREEZEREIMBURSE@pa.gov or by phone at 717-346-4237. Applicants should submit by the September 21, 2026 deadline and should review the official program guidelines and application instructions before submission to ensure that all requirements applicable to their freeze-related crop losses are addressed.

Review the program guidelines and application instructions before applying; confirm at least a 30 percent loss of expected production of an eligible crop due to freezing temperatures during April 1 through April 21, 2026; submit by September 21, 2026.