Emergency loans available for flood-affected farms
Twelve counties in Western North Carolina have received disaster declarations from U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack due to flooding from Tropical Storm Fred.
The disaster declaration includes Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Henderson, McDowell, Madison, Mitchell, Transylvania and Yancey counties. In addition, Swain, Avery, Burke, Graham, Polk and Rutherford counties were declared contiguous disaster counties.
Farm operators in both primary and contiguous disaster counties are eligible for certain assistance, including emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency, provided certain eligibility requirements are met. Farmers have eight months from the Oct. 20 disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.
More information, as well as applications, are available at fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index.