Office of MN Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan

 

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz announced (Friday) that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 11 more Minnesota counties as primary natural disaster areas in addition to those announced on February 5, 2020. Due to multiple disasters in 2019, including high winds, hail, excessive rain and snow, flash flooding, and drought, producers in Cottonwood, Grant, Jackson, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Nobles, Norman, Roseau, Stevens, and Traverse Counties will be eligible to apply for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans.

 

“We saw firsthand how extreme weather dramatically impacted the livelihood of Minnesota’s agricultural producers this last year,” said Governor Walz. “I am encouraged to see that the USDA has stepped up their response to the severity of these events by including eleven more counties in their designation. These primary disaster declarations will provide much-needed support to our farmers as they recover in the wake of devastation.”

 

Contiguous counties (to the primary counties) in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota are also part of this disaster declaration.

 

Farmers should contact their local Farm Service Agency office for more information.