The tobacco cloth that whipped across Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River on Monday came from Thrall's Farm in Windsor and Gov. Malloy visited the site on Tuesday to talk about a program to provide assistcance after a tornado ripped through on Monday.
Steven Reviczky, the commissioner of agriculture, spoke for the farmer, who did not want to meet with reporters.
"He was quite shaken up," said Steven Reviczky. "This is a tremendous loss for him and his family."
Reviczky had no dollar figure on the loss to Thrall's Farm, but he estimated there was crop damage on 30 acres and equipment damage on up to 50 acres of the 450 total acres.
Workers were restringing plants and straightening stalks, pushing them straight into the soil with their boots.
Reviczky and Gov. Dannel Malloy said Thrall's farm would be able to apply for some of the $5 million in plant loss grants the state government is offering.
Malloy said it would most likely not cover total damage and Reviczky dismissed the chances federal crop insurance policies would apply.
"The requirements of the federal government for percentage of loss are so excessively high that rarely can a Connecticut farmer claim on those insurance policies," Reviczky said.
Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
