Rep. Derrick Van Orden In Washington D.C - Photo by New York Times
WASHINGTON, DC – As drought conditions continue across Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) today announced federal resources available to farmers whose crops will be affected. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has established a disaster designation in Wisconsin – making additional 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 to such primary counties eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans assistance, provided eligibility requirements are met. 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, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.
Farmers can contact their local FSA office for more information, and the Congressman’s district offices if they need assistance navigating USDA programs.
