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USDA offers emergency loans in MN, IA, WI

Many Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa farmers are eligible for USDA emergency loan assistance because of this year’s extended drought.

Secretary Tom Vilsack has designated eleven Minnesota counties and three Wisconsin counties as primary disaster counties, making them and adjacent counties eligible for USDA emergency loans.  Overall, there are 14 primary counties and 30 adjacent counties eligible for the emergency loans, including 30 in Minnesota, 12 in Wisconsin, and two in Iowa. 

Producers interested in emergency loans or other USDA disaster programs should contact their local FSA office.

Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts.

USDA has other programs available for drought-related assistance for qualified producers.

The U.S. Dought Monitor says it’s the first time Wisconsin has ever reached the D4 Exceptional Drought status.

The primary disaster counties are Burnett, Sawyer, and Washburn counties in northwestern Wisconsin plus Aitkin, Chisago, Crow Wing, Freeborn, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Steele, and Winona counties in Minnesota are primary natural disaster areas, meaning farmers in those counties and adjacent counties can apply for USDA emergency loans.  The adjacent counties include Anoka, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Houston, Itasca, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington in Minnesota, plus Ashland, Barron, Buffalo, Bayfield, Douglas, La Crosse, Polk, Trempealeau, Price, Rusk in Wisconsin and Winnebago and Worth counties in Iowa.