US Department of Agriculture has assistance available to help farmers recover from ongoing drought

The U-S Department of Agriculture has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from the ongoing drought. Michelle Page with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) says low-interest emergency loans are available and those interested…  

The latest US Drought Monitor Map for Minnesota is still showing the far southern portion of Mower County, with the exception of the southeastern tip of the county as being in a severe drought, with the rest of the county is in a moderate drought.  The map is also showing all or portions of Houston, Fillmore, Winona, Olmsted, Wabasha, Pine and Carlton Counties as being abnormally dry, all or parts of 35 counties as being in a moderate drought, all or portions of 62 counties around the state as being in a severe drought and all or portions of 32 counties, including Lincoln, Lyon, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa, Renville, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Wright, Stearns, Pope, Stevens, Grant, Douglas, Ottertail, Todd, Wadena, Cass, Becker, Wadena, Hubbard, Clearwater, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk, Red Lake, Pennington, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Koochiching, St. Louis, Beltrami and Clearwater Counties in southwestern, west-central, central, north-central, northwestern and northern Minnesota as being in an extreme drought.  Page says recovery loans are available in a variety of areas to help with crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages.