November 21, 2007

LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Don Koivisto announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the state’s August 2007 request for frost and freeze assistance. Michigan farmers in several counties who have faced weather-related crop losses are now eligible for federal disaster assistance.

“We are grateful for this designation by our federal partners,” said Granholm. “It will help preserve the viability of Michigan’s $60.1 billion agriculture industry and assist farmers who faced significant crop losses to overcome these weather-related challenges.”

“Michigan has a very diverse agriculture industry, including varying climates, soils, and growing conditions, which allow the state to grow more than 200 crops commercially,” said Koivisto. “These emergency low-interest loans are vital to providing relief and strengthening our state’s farming families.”

According to Koivisto, the USDA designation addresses 29 Michigan counties that experienced extreme frost and freeze conditions from April 4, 2007, through June 13, 2007. The weather conditions devastated crop yields across the state, particularly impacting fruit, vegetables, and other weather-sensitive crops. This designation, in addition to the recent drought disaster designation for all 83 counties, will help Michigan farmers access loans as a result of poor harvests.

The 29 primary counties receiving disaster declaration due to frost and freeze damage and losses are: Alger, Allegan, Antrim, Benzie, Berrien, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Delta, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Leelanau, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Otsego, Ottawa, Presque Isle, Schoolcraft, and Van Buren.

Additionally, the 32 counties receiving contiguous disaster declaration are: Alpena, Baraga, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Crawford, Dickinson, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Iron, Isabella, Lake, Lenawee, Livingston, Luce, Mackinac, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Montcalm, Montmorency, Osceola, Oscoda, Roscommon, Saginaw, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, Washtenaw, and Wexford.

The USDA designation makes all qualified farmers in both the primary and contiguous disaster counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) provided eligibility requirements are met. Michigan farmers will have eight months, beginning November 14, 2007, to apply for the loans to cover up to 100 percent of their weather-related production losses.

Farmers should contact their local or county FSA offices for further information, including specific eligibility requirements and application procedures. A list of offices is available online at www.fsa.usda.gov/mi/st.html.