Senators Kim and Booker’s Letter to USDA Results in Relief for NJ Farmers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it had approved an emergency request from Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in which they requested disaster designation for all 21 counties of New Jersey's farmers. This joint request came after an unusual April freeze resulted in historic reported losses in crops ranging from blueberries and peaches to applies and grapes.

"There is no ‘Garden State’ without New Jersey farmers; I’m proud to work alongside Senator Booker to have their backs in the face of historic losses of critical crops," said Senator Andy Kim. "Extreme weather isn’t going away; our commitment to our farmers has to be steadfast and we must always be ready to advocate for them so they can continue their critical work of feeding the world."

This disaster designation follows a May 2026 letter from both Senator Kim and Booker to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, where they requested federal assistance for New Jersey's farmers to recover from the drastic crop loss, including access to low-interest loans.

The full text of the May 2026 letter is available HERE and below:

"Dear Secretary Rollins,

"We urge you to quickly approve the disaster designation requested by New Jersey’s Farm Service Agency to unlock federal relief for farmers devastated by highly anomalous freezing temperatures in April 2026.

"Early summer-like temperatures in April, including temperatures above 90 degrees, caused trees, vines, and bushes to begin to bloom. A sudden dip below freezing temperatures then killed the vulnerable blooming buds.

"The impact of this freeze has been extensive and disastrous, nearly entirely wiping out this year’s peach, apple, and grape crops in New Jersey. Further, winegrowers may experience an additional year of crop loss from vine damage. Approximately half of New Jersey’s blueberry crop has been decimated, and significant losses have also been reported for pears, cherries, plums, and strawberries. We expect damage to other crops to be revealed as well.

"The severity of this weather event is largely unprecedented—a freeze of similar consequence has not occurred in many decades. Growers are in desperate need of support.

"Please move swiftly to approve New Jersey’s disaster designation request, which would allow producers to access low-interest loans and other assistance from USDA. We look forward to working with you to ensure Garden State growers can recover quickly from this severe disaster."