SE Iowa under natural disaster emergency

WASHINGTON, D.C., — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 10 Iowa counties as “primary natural disaster” areas after they spent at least eight weeks under “severe” or worse drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The agency said the status qualified producers for federal aid, including emergency loans.

“A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to (them) eligible … for certain assistance from the Farm Service Agency,” a letter from the USDA to the Office of Gov. Kim Reynolds said, dated Sept. 19. “Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of (the) declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.”

The list of primary counties affected includes Appanoose, Davis, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello and Washington.

An additional 10 counties were listed as contiguous counties, making them eligible for some aid by proximity to droughts. That list includes Des Moines, Jasper, Lee, Lucas, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Louisa, Marion and Wayne counties.

Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen said the declaration would help farmers impacted by dry conditions.

“Crops haven’t been able to grow as they should,” she said. “It’s been bad enough that the federal government is offering assistance to farmers who have suffered because of it.”

Reisen said currently available aid came from the federal level, and encouraged farmers to reach out there rather than to county agencies.

“Because it’s a USDA declaration, it’s different than most of the disaster declarations that I’m familiar with,” she said. “I don’t have a lot of involvement with this, it’s more (sharing) the information and making sure the right people get the information.”

Jeff Cuddeback, a farmer in central Washington County, was not yet sure if he would apply for federal aid, but said he expected it to help many other growers in the area.

“We are blessed to have some pretty forgiving land, we’ve got quite a bit of black topsoil,” he said. “On lighter soils and poorer ground, it’s pretty bad, from what I’m hearing … I’m sure there are people in Washington County that will use it, especially the southern half of the county.”

Cuddeback said the drought’s impact was worsened by an unusually cool and wet planting season in the spring.

“If you plant into wetter conditions where the ground is still pretty tacky, it will smear the side walls of the furrow where the roots can’t get out and establish very well,” he said. “Especially if the ground is cool and damp, corn in particular does not like that at all. And it’ll germinate, but it just won’t set good roots and won’t be overly healthy the entire season.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com