Essex County farms could qualify for emergency loans - Press Republican

Essex County farms could qualify for emergency loans - Press Republican

PLATTSBURGH — Some Essex County farms could qualify for disaster funding, due to crops destroyed by frost after March 1.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued federal agriculture disaster declarations for several New York counties. The original proposal championed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand had included Clinton County as well, but it was not included in the disaster declaration made by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday.

“Farmers across New York who were still recovering from last year’s natural disasters risk losing an entire season worth of crops again,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “These disaster declarations are a good first step to open up access to federal resources so these farmers can get back to business and keep New York’s agricultural industry on the move.”

After a winter of record-high temperatures, many crops on New York farms blossomed earlier than usual. Many of these crops were then exposed to early spring freezing temperatures and were destroyed as a result. 

Federal agriculture disaster recovery programs provide tools to assist farmers in overcoming the challenges they can face as they work to recover from production and physical losses on their farms and rebuild their business. Help includes financial assistance to compensate for farm losses, low-interest emergency loans and assistance in rehabilitating farmland.

The Farm Service Agency said disaster emergency loan assistance is available effective June 5 for those who lost at least 30 percent of their production. Farmers may be eligible for production loss loans of up to 100 percent of their actual loss, the operating loan amount needed to continue business or a maximum principal balance outstanding of $500,000, whichever is less.

Eligible farmers must be unable to obtain credit from private commercial lenders. The interest rate on the loans is 3.75 percent.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 5, 2013.

The Farm Service Agency office is located at 2530 State Route 40, Greenwich, NY 12834. The phone number is 692-9940, Ext. 2.

Source: pressrepublican.com

London’s employers urged to check staff are acting on Olympic Games-time travel plans - HRmagazine.co.uk

As the countdown to the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games continues, London's Transport commissioner has written to the leaders of 500 of the capital's biggest companies, thanking them for their leadership in preparing for Games-time travel and asking them to ensure their staff understand their Games-time plans.

London will be transformed into one huge sporting and cultural venue this summer, which will have a big impact on the public transport and road networks in both central London and in the areas around venues. The transport system will be busier than normal and there will be 'hotspot' locations where, at certain times, it will be exceptionally busy.

To help mitigate the impact the pressures on the transport network will have on businesses, London 2012 and TfL have been working with organisations in affected areas of London and the rest of UK to ensure they have plans in place to run smoothly - and profitably - during the Games.

In the past 18 months, London 2012 and Transport for London (TfL) have worked with 500 major businesses, employing more than 600,000 people, to provide site specific travel advice and help with bespoke business travel plans. Around 80 per cent of those businesses already have written plans in place, which include:

• Reducing or re-timing of deliveries;
• Encouraging staff to take holiday if possible;
• Staggering working days so people can start or finish work earlier or later and avoid peak times;
• Working from home or other locations;
• Encouraging walking or cycling by staff during Games-time.

London's transport commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: "Central London will be transformed into one huge sporting and cultural venue this summer, which will have a big impact on both the road and public. With just eight weeks left until the Games start, it is important that businesses test their plans and communicate them to staff, suppliers, customers and visitors.

"Many companies are already communicating their plans with their staff, suppliers, customers and visitors, and their efforts and leadership in preparing for Games-time travel are commendable. In these final weeks before the Games, it is important that London's business leaders continue to communicate with their employees to ensure they are clear about the plans in place in their own organisations and so they can take action to change their travel as a result."

TfL will continue to communicate important transport information in the run up to, and during, the Games period, including providing twice-daily transport updates to ensure London's businesses and their employees remain fully informed.

Help and support is available on the travel planning website www.GetAheadoftheGames.com.

 

Source: www.hrmagazine.co.uk

London 2012: Why Sponsors Need to Create Olympic Content, Not Just Badge It - The Drum

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Source: www.thedrum.co.uk