RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has opened a new mass communication tool NCFARMAID, that will allow farmers to opt in to receive emergency response information and links to important hurricane relief resources. The tool is free to use and communication is one-way only.
To opt in for the service, farmers should text NCFARMAID to 888777.
“Communication has been a challenge since disaster recovery began, but this tool will help farmers especially if they don’t have email access on their phones or cannot access the internet,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Thanks to the partnership with Wake County Emergency Management, we will be able to connect directly with farmers who opt in for messages, providing them with the most up-to-date information.”
Examples of the types of information and resources being shared include the hotline number, portal link to request feed, hay and assistance, FSA links, FEMA links, guidance from vetted sources on best practices for animal health after a flood, etc.
Phone numbers will not be public, and this resource will be operational only for Hurricane Helene Relief. Once relief efforts are wrapped up, the channel will be deleted and numbers of those participating will be deleted.
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