The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the request of Governor Rauner for disaster designation in 87 Illinois counties and 14 contiguous counties that suffered losses due to rain and flooding this year.
“Illinois has suffered a lot of storm and rain damage throughout this Spring and Summer,” Rauner said. “I am pleased our request for federal assistance was granted and encourage farmers throughout these counties to contact their local Farm Service Agency for questions.”
The governor issued an official letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack on July 23, 2015. The 19 members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation also signed a letter to President Obama to endorse the governor’s request for this designation. Counties eligible for assistance were determined through the Loss Assessment Reports reviewed by the USDA.
“I am grateful to all the members of our Illinois Congressional delegation for their strong and united support for securing this assistance for farmers throughout the state,” Rauner added.
Farmers who believe they may be eligible for assistance should contact their county Farm Service Agency office. Loan applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and applicant’s repayment ability. Farmers who have questions should contact the state FSA office at (217) 241-6600.
Counties eligible for assistance include: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, DeWitt, Douglas, DuPage, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Knox, La Salle, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, McDonough, McLean, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, St. Clair, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Stark, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Woodford
Counties named as contiguous disaster counties eligible for assistance: Boone, Bureau, Christian, Coles, Cook, Edgar, Jo Daviess, Kendall, McHenry, Moultrie, Ogle, Shelby, Stephenson, Winnebago
- Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 6:51 am:
Lake County
- DOI Chef - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 6:52 am:
Yep. Lake.
- AJ_yooper - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 6:55 am:
Cook too.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 7:48 am:
Cook is listed in the contiguous counties list, and is eligible. There might (I emphasize might) be some urban and/or small scale specialty farmers who could be eligible if they are registered with the Farm Service Agency (before people go all pessimistic/snarky on this).
- Strangerthings - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 7:53 am:
Lake
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 7:56 am:
And remember, these are loans. They have to qualify and pay them back with nominal interest. Specialty crops such as fruit and vegetable crops have a much high crop insurance cost than the traditional commodity crops of corn and soybeans.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index
http://www.cropinsuranceinamerica.org/usda-announces-details-on-new-crop-insurance-option/#.VcyTYP4w-ic
- Gooner - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 8:39 am:
If my company has a tough year, can the state give me a low interest loan?
These are GOP areas. Interesting that they would accept what is basically a government handout.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:05 am:
Gooner-
So, based on that logic thread, those who get hit with tornadoes shouldn’t qualify for FEMA or SBA loans. After all, it’s just another government handout./s
- Gooner - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:13 am:
Anon,
Initially, were the farm houses themselves destroyed in the conditions? I missed that. Instead, it seems to me that this is similar to any other commercial loss.
When it is cold outside in winter, restaurants might not do as well. Are farmers going to support low interest loans to Chicago restaurant owners? Or would those farmers be more likely to scream about handouts?
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:14 am:
First, the USDA rules are completely different than FEMA rules. Second, it says in the release that farmers (and property owners) must APPLY for the LOANS. These are not just grants that are handed out.
I remember handling some of these issues in the past. It is a bureaucratic nightmare. Some of the business owners and farmers who apply and are eligible wait a month or longer to get their loan funds.
- Gooner - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:15 am:
For what it is worth, I’m not necessarily against these programs.
It just would be nice if the farmers would acknowledge that they are dependent on government. They can have the loans but be honest about it and don’t complain when ironworkers need unemployment when construction is slow.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:24 am:
Not all farmers are “dependents of” or “work” the system. The system for many years has been tilted sharply toward the 1%ers in this field as well. Many small/medium farmers don’t even bother trying for these types of loans because it is a nightmare (as Team Sleep stated) of paperwork, producing evidence of damages/loss, and waiting and waiting for a check that does not even begin to cover 100% loss (Please read the links I posted above for caps on recovery damages). Some programs have definitely been abused by the very large farms, I do not dispute that or condone their actions. In fact, it riles me up. Just please, don’t lump all farmers into one bushel basket.
I am aware that FEMA is a different program, and I’ve never begrudged an ironworker his/her right to IDES:)
- Huh? - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:27 am:
Gooner- the difference between an unemployed Ironworks and a farmer who lost a crop is that the ironworker can go on unemployment. Whereas the farmer had to get loans to try to put in next year’s crop.
- Gooner - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:32 am:
Huh,
I understand. My point was that the areas receiving these loans are primarily GOP areas that object to these sort of things. The rural areas tend to be outraged over things like unemployment.
If you elect people who are outraged about handouts, you shouldn’t put your hand out.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:35 am:
People don’t often think that rain is a bad thing. I lost the vast majority of my little garden to too much water, mold, rot etc. Only my basil seems to be growing out of control. Zukes,eggplants, cantaloupes, and red onions all shot( not the white onions oddly) So it’s good that the Farmers have that loan capability
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:42 am:
There are corn and bean farmers who don’t have federally subsidized crop insurance? I don’t believe that.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:46 am:
Gooner- My point was that the areas receiving these loans are primarily GOP areas that object to these sort of things.
My point is these are agricultural land. This is an older data layer, but generally holds true for areas of the state where crops can be grown. Soil types are apolitical:)
http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/cdl/ILall.htm
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:51 am:
Wordslinger-
Not every farmer grows just corn and soybeans. And not every farmer (if they own the land outright) wants to participate in government programs. If you do not register your crop acres with the FSA AND certify all of your crops, pastureland, and conservation lands every year, you are not eligible for ANY of the federal programs, including emergency loans.
My bottom-line is, please do not lump all farmers together.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 9:53 am:
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online_Resources/Highlights/Farm_Economics/
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 10:06 am:
http://farm.ewg.org/region.php?fips=00000
Stats on how many farms received some type of subsidy.
- Federalist - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 10:57 am:
I have lost an estimated 10-12% of my corn crop.
With already low prices (about 3.50 a bushel this year compared to 1.25 bushel in 1950) that ain’t good.
That’s the way it goes.
All crops and all farm land are eligible for the purchasing of federal crop insurance.
That’s enough federal assistance.
- Federalist - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:01 am:
@anon221,
Those subsidies on that site stopped in 2012. There is a good reason for that. Those subsidies have been stopped- period. No mas, nada.
Just to let everyone know and have more complete information.
- Liberty - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:02 am:
Farmers love their government benefits as long as the rest of us pay the bill.
- flea - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:03 am:
This fed program provides low interest loans of which very few farmers avail themselves, historically speaking.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:51 am:
Federalist- Yes, those stopped, but new programs such as ARC and PLC have replaced them. Rules and enrollment procedures have been tightened, but closing the gap programs still exist.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/arcplc_program/index
- siriusly - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:54 am:
Gooner. There are no red counties, there are no blue counties. This state is purple.
- Federalist - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 11:57 am:
Anon221,
I agree these programs should be stopped also even though they cost far less than the old subsidy programs.
For the most part very few farmers ever get anything from the ARC/PLC. Those that do usually have land in areas that continually flood or have poorer land that in drought will always be hit hardest. Naturally the insurance industry makes the most off this program.
Now if we can get rid of these programs I am certain that you will be really to vastly reduce the plethora of welfare programs given out by our generous government, ah, I mean taxpayers.
- Nobody important - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:16 pm:
More welfare for the same people that get to keep the money when things and get a government bailout when things don’t. It’s so unfair to other family businesses.
- Nobody important - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:17 pm:
More welfare for the same people that get to keep the money when things go well and get a government bailout when things don’t. It’s so unfair to other family businesses.
- AJ - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:29 pm:
There may be an empty field here and there but what’s growing in those fields planted looks like a crop.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 12:39 pm:
Federalist-
ARC/PLC is brand new, so the stats on who will get what will tell with time. I imagine it is going to be another boondoggle. And, come the next round of Farm Bill drafting, will be replaced with yet another set of schemes that will try to correct the problems brought to light under these acronyms. How DCP and ACRE were replaced by PLC and ARC this go round…
As far as the “plethora of other welfare programs”, are you generalizing beyond the farm discussion? That is outside of this article, and my point(s) here have been that while farms within the boundaries of the counties (and farms that may straddle county lines- why Cook may have been included) may be eligible for loan assistance, that does not mean millions and millions of dollars are going to be “handed out” as freebies.
The Number 1 is just that, a number. Lake County did not make the cut for whatever reasons this go round (I’m sure there is some ag there somewhere).
See page 8 for full details of this loan program:
https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21212.pdf
- Federalist - Thursday, Aug 13, 15 @ 1:19 pm:
@anon,
Yes, I am generalizing beyond this specific farm program. Hardly a new occurrence on this or any other website and by bringing in the left/liberal EWG, which is notorious for targeting farmer ‘welfare’ and nothing else, it certainly expands the discussion for those of us who understand the overall political environment in which much of this type of information gains traction.
So I will stand by what I said.
- sal-says - Thursday, Aug 20, 15 @ 5:39 pm:
Downstate in northern IL.
Corn has never looked taller, not more abundant.
Soy beans have never looked taller, not more abundant.
Just sayin’ in one of the ‘disaster’ counties.