Farmers in the Lehigh Valley and across New Jersey may be eligible for federal emergency loans after spring freezes devastated orchards and cut yields.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in June announced that farmers in Bucks, Monroe and Northampton counties who suffered losses in April are now eligible for financial assistance. Farms in Delaware, Philadelphia and Pike counties may also qualify.
The USDA designated 17 Pennsylvania counties and 21 New Jersey counties — along with contiguous counties — as areas where farmers may apply. New Jersey’s Warren and Hunterdon counties are among the areas affected…