Sangamon County has been included in a list of four disaster declarations made by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in the aftermath of an Illinois growing season plagued by drought and tornados.
Designations were made once the USDA reviewed Loss Assessment Reports and determined that the production loss across the areas was sufficient enough to qualify.
A Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to provide emergency loans to producers recovering from natural disasters, which includes FSA emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. Those eligible should contact their local USDA Service Center to ask questions or file a Notice of Loss.
Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II noted that “Our Illinois farmers are resilient, facing uncertain weather conditions year after year. I want to thank Governor JB Pritzker for working with Secretary Vilsack and the USDA to ensure our farmers have the resources they need to come back after a natural disaster.”
More information concerning which counties were designated and which designations they each received can be found below.
The following counties have received USDA Disaster Designations. Primary and contiguous counties are eligible for the same assistance.Designation 1: A tornado that occurred during March 31, 2023:Primary Counties: Bureau, Clark & CrawfordContiguous Counties: Coles, Henry, Lawrence, Putnam, Stark, Cumberland, Jasper, Lee, Richland, Whiteside, Edgar, LaSalle & MarshallDesignation Number 2: A tornado that occurred during April 4, 2023:Primary County: FultonContiguous Counties: Knox, Mason, Schuyler, Warren, McDonough, Peoria & TazewellDesignation Number 3: Tornados and high winds that occurred during March 31, 2023, through April 5, 2023:Primary Counties: Henry, Mercer, Rock Island & SangamonContiguous Counties: Bureau, Knox, Menard, Stark, Cass, Logan, Montgomery, Warren,Christian, Macon, Morgan, Whiteside, Henderson & MacoupinDesignation Number 4: DroughtPrimary County: RandolphContiguous Counties: Jackson, Monroe, Perry, St. Clair & WashingtonHancock, Adams, Calhoun and Pike counties were included in a previous drought designation as contiguous counties included in a Missouri disaster designation.
