The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency on Wednesday, Oct. 2, declared a primary natural disaster area for 10 Ohio counties, including Logan County, because of drought conditions.
This natural disaster designation extends much-needed emergency credit to farm operators in primary counties and contiguous counties through FSA emergency loan assistance. The deadline for producers in designated primary and contiguous counties to apply for loans is May 23, 2025.
In addition to Logan County, other primary counties eligible in Ohio include: Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Delaware, Greene, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Union and Warren counties.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for eight or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.
Contiguous counties also eligible are Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Darke, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Highland, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Preble and Shelby counties.
Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts.
The FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help Ohioians determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.