Nine months after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina, many farmers are still picking up the pieces. But for hydroponic growers like Kevin and Alicia Stump, the road to recovery has been especially challenging — with few disaster assistance programs that recognize their farming model.
The couple moved from Texas to Hendersonville in 2022 to expand their farm and open a storefront for their canned goods and produce. But when floodwaters from Helene wiped out their hydroponic facility, they lost everything.
"It was really traumatic," Kevin Stump said when the damage initially happened. "It's everything that we ever worked for our whole life. We've invested into this farm."
With no traditional acreage and no soil-based growing, the Stumps found themselves ineligible for most disaster recovery grants and loans. "Traditionally, USDA and FSA don't recognize that as far as loans and grants go," he explained. "They don't have programs. They don't have a way to monitor it."
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