Emergency loans are available for farmers in Florence, Forest, Vilas and Iron counties from the July flooding in northern Wisconsin.
Tom Brandt is the Farm Service Agency's Farm Loan Chief. He says the lower interest loans are designed to help farmers recoup losses caused by Mother Nature...
"....it goes to the actual operators of the farm. You have to be farming to qualify for one of these loans. It's to help them get back on their feet from losses they might have suffered from one of these disasters...."
The losses happened between July 10 and July 12, 2016. Brandt says damages will be reviewed and if eligible, loans up to $500,000 at 3.25 percent interest are available.
Brandt noted that FSA is prohibited from making loans when farmers can obtain credit elsewhere....
"....what we'll typically do is an appraisal and we try to appraise it as to what it was before the disaster hit...."
He says farmers who qualify should check with the Ashland Farm Service office on 3rd Street West. The deadline for applications is April 12, 2017.
