- Meadows, Cynthia L.
Summary
Seminole County took the most direct hit, of any Georgia county, from 2018’s Hurricane Michael, destroying crops, timber, homes, and most everything else in the county and devastating the 9,000 citizens, who are either directly or in-directly dependent upon agriculture for their livelihoods. Most citizens, including farmers and landowners, received some much-needed help, but not enough to cover their losses. Then in 2020, the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant program was announced to further assist citizens in farming communities recover from Hurricane Michael’s visit. Applicants looked to the Seminole County Extension Office for help. Because Seminole County has not had an Ag Agent in months, Cindy Meadows, County Extension Coordinator and 4-H Agent, made it her goal to help the farmers throughout all phases of the application process.
Situation
On October 10, 2018, the lives of all 9,000 Seminole County citizens turned upside down as the eye of storm, Hurricane Michael, paid a visit. The storm’s powerful eye wall swept north-northeast through Seminole County as a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds up to 115 mph and gusts of up to 150 mph, delivering destruction in every square inch of the county. Hurricane Michael shocked the community with terrifying power, downing live oaks and pines and damaging hundreds of homes, uprooting acres of pecan trees and sweeping away the highly anticipated bountiful yields of the year’s harvest. The farms, timber, and everything else took a severe beating. The damage was so widespread that the Georgia Agriculture Department estimates a $2 billion hit to the state’s economy. Citizens got help from many different sources to make their come back. Although farmers got some assistance, it was not enough to make up for their devastating losses, which affected the entire county’s economy. Fast-forward to 2020 and the announcement of the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant program, administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, to allocate aid to farmers and forest landowners who suffered losses from Hurricane Michael (2018), that were not covered by existing USDA programs. This block grant program is designed to compensate producers for losses and expenses in seven categories of assistance: beef, dairy, fruit and vegetable, pecan, poultry, timber, and uninsured infrastructure. The application process was complicated and required on-line reporting; farmers needed assistance from the County Extension Agriculture Agent. Because Seminole County Extension has been without an Ag Agent for months, it seemed as if Seminole County farmers were at a disadvantage when it came to submitting complete applications that would be selected to receive funding.
Response
Not only did Seminole County Extension Coordinator and 4-H Agent Cindy Meadows work hard helping citizens with their immediate recovery efforts after Hurricane Michael hit but, nearly two years later, she was instrumental in assisting many farmers and forest landowners, from both Decatur and Seminole counties, with the application process of the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant (FRBG). When the Georgia FRBG was announced she advertised it in the newspaper, through social media, and even sent personal emails to Seminole County producers. When the application window was opened, she was there to field many calls and office visits concerning the grant and even made visits to evaluate timber losses. Agent Meadows worked with FRBG personnel to make sure the applications were filled out correctly. Because it is difficult for many of the applicants to use computers, Cindy assisted them in entering their data. After the enrollment timeframe, she continued to help as producers needed to tweak, add to, or correct their applications so they would be accepted for grant payments. Once grant contracts were issued, she assisted recipients with the final contract acceptance procedures.
Impact
Seminole County Extension Coordinator and 4-H Agent, Cindy Meadows worked, over and beyond, to assure that farmers and landowners in her area got their fair share of the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant funds. She assisted 25 clients in entering and uploading information and paperwork for a total of over 32 applications for assistance. She had over 75 work sessions with the clients, some of which were spent working to help clarify the submitted applications for the Department of Agriculture. Once the grants were awarded, she helped many of the recipients with the contract acceptance procedure. Because of Cindy Meadows dedication to the citizens of Seminole County, over $1.7 million was awarded to farmers and landowners that she personally assisted. Thus, citizens were reminded, once again, that Seminole County Extension personnel work hard to help them in many areas! Bill Bridges, timber owner, states, “When the block grant was announced I had no idea how to scan or enter the information into the computer. Our family had significant timber loss from Hurricane Michael. Cindy Meadows spent many hours helping me enter the information for the block grant. She was professional and polite through the whole process. She was able to contact the proper person to get answers to our questions. She was a lifesaver for us on getting the block grant done.” Rome Ethredge says, “As an FRBG specialist for the Georgia Department of Agriculture and a local crop consultant, I saw firsthand the value of Cindy Meadows’ hard work. Often grant applicants needed assistance with determining how to apply for assistance and she helped them. Then they sometimes needed help with uploading documents and filling out the online information that was required. Then when other documents were later determined to be needed and corrections were to be made she was there to help. Cindy did an outstanding job working with her clients and she was such a big help serving as a knowledgeable and trustworthy liaison between the public and those of us working with the Department of Agriculture”. Bryce Trotter Senior Policy Advisor with Georgia Department of Agriculture stated, “There are numerous farm families in Southwest Georgia who were able to participate in this new program because of Cindy’s patience and professionalism. Similarly, the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s block grant team relied on Cindy’s personal relationships with growers in Seminole County and her ability to problem solve to ensure growers in the area were eligible for this much needed assistance.”
State Issue
Sustainability, Conservation, & the Environment
Details
- Year: 2020
- Geographic Scope: County
- County: Seminole
- Location: College Station, Athens
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Program Areas:
- 4-H Youth
Author
Extension Impact