Emergency loans have been given to several farms in western Massachusetts that suffered crop losses because of the excessive rainfall last year.
No-interest loans totaling $65,000 were made to seven farms from an emergency fund managed by Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), according to Executive Director Phil Korman.
"So the idea is we are keeping these farms going and farming and carry them through a cash dry spell so they can get back on their feet, bring cash back to the farm and pay us in a subsequent year," explained Korman.
The fund has been opened four times since it was created in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
A total of $286,000 has been loaned to 31 farms.
