Starting April 1, 2020, for the first time CISA will open its Emergency Farm Fund to farmers experiencing losses from non weather related events, specifically Covid-19. These 0% interest rate loans are available to farmers in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties. To qualify, farmers need to demonstrate an ability to repay the loan, losses due to Covid-19, and sales in 2019 greater than $20,000. For more information regarding the Emergency Farm Fund click here. In the event of more applications than available funds, CISA will prioritize farmers with larger losses who are more likely to benefit from the loan, are owned by one or more limited resource producers, and haven not received a CISA loan in the past five years.