‘There was nothing we could do’: Houston urban farmers devastated by winter storm
“USDA doesn’t have crop insurance for farms of our size,” he said. “According to the TDA and our appraisal district, I’m not even considered an agricultural operation.”
By ShaCamree Gowdy
Chron
Feb. 24, 2021
Excerpt:
Constant Ngouala lost 80 percent of his crop at his Plant It Forward site in Southwest Houston, per the Houston Chronicle’s Emma Balter. In Needville, Jennifer Plihal and Peg Turrentine of Three Sisters Farm lost nearly 100 percent of their crop and a number of plants that had to be moved from a greenhouse after the power died.
“With the extended forecast of below 20 degrees, we knew there was nothing we could do to save it,” said Plihal, as reported by Balter. “We didn’t even cover anything.”
Plant It Forward president Liz Vallette said the damage they suffered is worse than when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, as reported by Balter. But it did help them prepare.
Thomas Garcia-Prats, operates Finca Tres Robles in Second Ward, an urban farm he says has “very little support or network,” according to Balter. He’s suffered from the loss of his entire crop before.