As drought conditions continue, Rep. Derrick Van Orden announced federal resources available to farmers whose crops will be affected. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set a disaster designation in Wisconsin. This makes extra resources available to farmers in impacted counties.
“I encourage our farmers to look into the full extent of resources available to them as they confront historic drought conditions in the Third District,” said Van Orden. “Our office stands by ready to assist any farmers who are experiencing problems navigating the Department of Agriculture.”
A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans assistance. The USDA has designated Sauk County as a primary county and Adams, Grant, Richland, Juneau, and Vernon Counties as contiguous counties.
Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits. They will take into account the extent of production losses on the farm and repayment ability of the operator.
Farmers can contact their local FSA office for more information. Farmers can also contact the Congressman’s district offices if they need assistance navigating USDA programs.
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