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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the state Farm Service Agency's request for an agricultural disaster designation. The declaration will allow farms to receive low-interest emergency loans up to $500,000. The funding can be used to replace property, cover production costs or pay essential living expenses. 

The disaster declaration covers 31 counties, including Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Seneca, Tompkins and Wayne. Another 24 counties, including Madison and Oneida, are considered part of the contiguous disaster area. 

To be eligible for the disaster designation, farms must have lost at least 30% of their crop. In Cayuga County, farms reported losing more than 30% of their apple, cherry, grape and peach crops. Farms in neighboring counties had other crop losses, including onions and strawberries.  

Cold temperatures in mid-May devastated crops, especially apples and grapes. The worst of the freeze occurred overnight from May 17 to May 18. Some vineyards lost their entire crop. 

Sam Filler, executive director of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, credited Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for advocating for the aid. Gillibrand and Schumer wrote a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to approve the request. 

"Their support was key to ensure that New York's grape and wine industry receives the needed disaster federal resources to help them cope with the expected financial losses due to their crop losses," Filler said.