The U.S. Department of Agriculture has signed off on a request from Governor Walker to designate 23 Wisconsin counties as primary natural disaster areas. The designation covers Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, Lafayette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk and Walworth counties.
Those areas have all experienced widespread agricultural damage from the extreme drought and heat. The designation means qualified farm operators in affected counties are now eligible for low-interest emergency loans
Also today, Walker said farmers can start applying for loan guarantees under the state’s Drought Relief Guarantee Program. The program offers a 90 percent state guarantee on up to $15,000 in agricultural loans over a three-year period.
