Erie County Farm Businesses: COVID Impact Loan Program Available through ECIDA
Amy Barkley, Livestock Specialist
Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program
COVID IMPACT LOAN PROGRAM
Has your business been negatively affected by COVID-related restrictions on commerce?
Do you need working capital for your business to take advantage of economic opportunities created by the COVID health crisis?
You may qualify for disaster relief help from our low-interest, no payments for one-year loan program administered by the Regional Development Corporation.
• Loans from $25,000 to $250,000
• Business must be located in Erie County
• Interest rate for all COVID Impact Loans is 1%
• No payments for year one
• Interest-only payments for year two
Please call 716-856-6525 ext. 219 for application information or visit www.ecidany.com
Upcoming Events
WNY Pastureland Conversion & Soil Health Field Day
July 16, 2025
Middleport, NY
Join American Farmland Trust for the Western New York Soil Health Field Day on July 16, 2025, at Zeliff Farm in Middleport, NY, from 9:00 AM-3:15 PM. Learn about pasture conversion, soil health benchmarking, biochar in grazing systems, and best grazing practices. Plus, enjoy hands-on demos with the NY Soil Health Trailer, drones, and cover crops! Check out the attached agenda for more information about the field day and REGISTER HERE. Zeliff Farms is a regenerative beef operation who has recently partnered with AFT on outreach and education to farmers including learning circles and evaluating biochar effects on soil health.
IPM Strategies to Protect Corn and Soybean Seed in NY

July 30, 2025
Hamburg , NY
SWNYDLFC and Cornell IPM are hosting a grower meeting to discuss integrated pest management strategies for protecting corn and soybean seed in New York.
FAMACHA Training for Sheep and Goat producers in Woodhull NY
August 13, 2025 : FAMACHA Training in Woodhull
Woodhull, NY
Join us for a discussion and hands-on training for internal parasite integrated pest management in sheep and goats. Certification is available to all students participating in the workshop.
Announcements
No announcements at this time.