VVA Survey Round 2, FSA Reporting, Southern Region Survey

[Harner, Drew]

Good afternoon, all, 

Please see below for details about a couple of surveys (VVA, Southern Region Grape Survey from U of Arkansas) and info about crop loss reporting to the Farm Service Agency. I apologize for the lengthiness of this email but wanted to compile these notices to reduce multiple emails in your inbox.  As always, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about any of the items listed below. 

1. ‎VVA April 2026 Crop Loss Follow-Up Survey 

The VVA is conducting a second round of information gathering to update estimated crop loss this 2026 season due to the freeze event on April 21. There was a tremendous response to the initial survey, and the goal of this is to gather updated estimates that can be shared with state and federal partners to help develop relief programs and official loss documentation.

We realize that the extent of damage is still emerging, especially since cooler temps have slowed regrowth, but we have 90 days from April 21 (per Farm Service Agency guidelines) to report losses to government agencies, so we want to make sure we avoid missing the deadline for reporting. 

The survey can be found at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdloeYQc3GRV4MORuE66u_T6K-_1p6yvBjIE3jQu4kdISOR1g/viewform 

2. FSA Reporting

The VVA survey results will be shared with FSA, but we encourage any affected operations to contact their local county or regional FSA office to report estimated losses and the event. FSA documentation is a critical component of reporting that is used to support official declarations of crop disasters/emergencies and will shape the development of relief programs. A webinar will be scheduled within the next 1-2 weeks that will provide a how-to guide to FSA reporting and what to expect. Keep an eye out for that!

We have regional FSA offices here in VA, and you can find yours using this search tool: https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator

3. Southern Region Grape Growers' Survey from U. of Arkansas

We encourage you to participate in a 10-min. survey organized by our colleagues from the University of Arkansas (Dr. Renee Threlfall and Amanda Fleming) and supported by Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Graduate Student grant program. Read more information below from Dr. Threlfall: 

Grape growers are invited to participate in this 10-minute online survey that includes questions about the grapes grown and challenges to identify opportunities for adopting native/hybrid grape cultivars and sustainable practices to improve the viability of the Southern Region grape and wine industry. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and own/manage a vineyard in the U.S. Southern region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). Participants who complete the survey can receive $10-20/person gift card, depending on the number of participants.  

This research project entitled “Identifying opportunities to expand sustainability potential for Vitis native and hybrid grape production in U.S. Southern regions” was funded by Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Graduate Student grant (Project number GS25-329).

If you have questions or concerns about this study, you may contact Dr. Renee Threlfall, Associate Professor, Food Science Department, University of Arkansas (479-575-4677 or rth...@uark.edu ). Please click here or scan the QR to begin the survey! Additionally, a flyer with information and a QR code link to the survey is attached.

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That's all from me for now, but please look for more information about freeze-related resources in the coming weeks.

All the best,

Drew

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Drew Harner 

Assistant Professor of Viticulture and Extension Specialist

AHS Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Virginia Tech

595 Laurel Grove Rd., Winchester, VA 22602

dha...@vt.edu

540-232-6050

he/him/his

Viticulture Lab Website

Viticulture Extension Program Website