Office of Governor Tony Evers *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*?July 21, 2023 Contact:[email protected]? ? *Gov. Evers and DATCP Commend USDA Secretary Vilsack for Natural Disaster Designations Relating to Drought Conditions* ? MADISON ??Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) this week issued statements regarding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretarial natural disaster designations due to recent drought-like conditions. To date, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has designated 27 Wisconsin counties as natural disaster areas due to drought. This designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters.

?We?re continuing to do everything we can to support our farmers and their families, and we appreciate the help from our federal partners and USDA Secretary Vilsack to support our state?s farmers and our local communities during the recent drought conditions,? said Gov. Evers. ?I encourage eligible Wisconsin producers to access these critical resources that are available through this designation, including assistance like emergency loans.?

?Unpredictable weather impacts the wallet and wellness of producers,? said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. ?Producers with questions about USDA FSA programs and emergency credit should contact their local?FSA office. As always, the Wisconsin Farm Center at DATCP is available to answer questions and connect farmers to resources, including conflict mediation, financial consulting, and the Farmer Wellness Program.?

The Wisconsin Farm Center can be reached at (800) 942-2474 or [email protected]. Two stakeholder messages from USDA about the natural disaster designations can be found?here [ [link removed] ] and here [ [link removed] ]. Producers can find their local FSA office online [ [link removed] ]. Additional resources can be found on DATCP?s drought resource page [ [link removed] ]. ? An online version of this release is available here [ [link removed] ]. ###

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