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Below is information for New Jersey nursery growers and other green industry businesses affected by the April freeze. Please note that the Governor's declaration by itself does not automatically trigger USDA payments. The key next step is whether USDA grants the requested Secretarial Disaster Designation, which Governor Sherrill formally requested after declaring the State of Emergency. For information on the Governor’s declaration, click HERE.
If USDA approves the designation, several USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs could become available.
Programs Most Relevant to NJ Nursery Growers:
1. Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
This is likely the most important program for many nursery operations.
TAP provides financial assistance to qualifying nursery tree growers, orchardists, and vineyardists to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes, and vines damaged or killed by a natural disaster. Eligible nursery stock includes ornamental trees, fruit trees, nut trees, and Christmas trees grown for commercial sale.
For NJNLA members, this could potentially apply if:
- nursery stock suffered mortality due to the freeze,
- shrubs or woody ornamentals were killed,
- tree liners or field-grown trees sustained qualifying losses.
2. Emergency Farm Loans
If USDA issues a disaster designation, affected producers may qualify for low-interest Emergency Loans through FSA. These loans can help cover:
- operating expenses,
- replacement of damaged inventory,
- cash-flow shortages,
- refinancing certain farm debts,
- recovery costs associated with the disaster.
This may be especially helpful for growers who lost a significant portion of their 2026 sales inventory.
3. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)
NAP provides payments for losses to crops that are not covered by traditional crop insurance. However, producers generally must have purchased NAP coverage before the disaster occurred.
Potentially relevant green-industry crops could include:
- nursery crops,
- floriculture crops,
- specialty crops,
- certain greenhouse crops.
Eligibility depends on the specific crop and whether NAP coverage was in place.
Programs Relevant to Other Green Industry Businesses:
Landscape Contractors
Landscape companies generally do not qualify for crop-loss programs because they are not producing agricultural commodities. However, you may benefit indirectly through:
- increased recovery and replanting work,
- state-level recovery programs if established,
- emergency loan programs if they operate qualifying agricultural enterprises.
Garden Centers
Retail garden centers generally are not eligible for crop-loss payments on purchased inventory. However, centers that also grow their own plant material may have eligible losses under certain FSA programs. Eligibility would be highly operation-specific.
Christmas Tree Growers
Christmas tree growers are specifically mentioned in USDA guidance as potentially eligible under TAP and other disaster programs when qualifying losses occur.
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