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FSA Director says document storm damage, contact local offices

The Wisconsin Farm Service Agency Director expects they will be trying to help many farmers impacted by the soggy late summer weather.   Sandy Chalmers tells Brownfield, “There’s a lot of interest in Emergency Livestock Assistance (ELAP) for the feed losses and for the Emergency Conservation Program for rehabilitation of fields and conservation structures.”

Chalmers says the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program can help cover up to 70% of feed replacement and transportation costs.  She says it’s important for farmers to document everything.  “Document their feed purchases.  Document the feed losses, and you can do that by taking a picture of your pasture that’s full of mud or your round bales that are soaked with water.”

If either the Federal Emergency Management Agency or USDA were to declare a disaster area, Chalmers says USDA would make loans available.  “Right now, those loans are running at 3.75% so, and they’re up to five hundred thousand dollars so farmers will sometimes tap into that access to credit.”

Chalmers says the difficult part is the timing because no one knows the full extent of losses until harvest is completed, but she encourages farmers to report what they know now because that helps USDA decide if a disaster declaration is appropriate.

Much of southern and western Wisconsin experienced heavy rain and flooding in late August and early September.

 

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