Mast holds freeze recovery meeting for local farmers

Hobe Sound, F.L. – U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-21) held a Farmer’s Freeze Recovery Meeting in Hobe Sound, where he spoke with farmers across Florida’s 21st District on the issues they continue to face from February’s record-breaking temperatures, and provided guidance on federal resources and recovery assistance. The meeting followed a winter of unseasonably cold temperatures, harsh winds, and frost that devastated crops across the state. “From citrus trees and vegetables to shrubs and nursery crops, our growers dedicate years toward cultivating produce. When their labor is erased—in some cases overnight—it impacts everyone,” said Rep. Mast . In Washington last week, after calls from Florida’s delegation in Congress, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a disaster declaration for 26 counties in Florida. That declaration included St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach Counties, and it was a key step that allowed affected growers access to federal recovery programs. In addition, Mast cosponsored the Temperature Event Mitigation Policy (TEMP) Act last week to address a gap in insurance coverage for farmers facing cold-related hardship. The TEMP Act would direct the U.S.D.A’s Risk Management Agency to establish a temperature-based insurance program. “Supporting these hardworking Floridians as they recover and rebuild is a priority,” said Rep. Mast .