U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made emergency funds available for Ohio farmers who experienced excessive rain in October of 2021.

Due to heavy rains and flooding that saturated Northwest Ohio fields and destroyed crops in October, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency declared Wood County a natural disaster area.

This designation means farmers in Wood County as well as Hancock, Lucas, Henry, Ottawa, Putnam, Sandusky and Seneca counties can apply for disaster assistance.

Additional information on the loans and disaster program can be found at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

“Historic rains across Northwest Ohio this fall resulted in oversaturated fields, losses and significant uncertainty for many Ohio farmers,” Brown said.

“I encourage eligible Ohio farmers to apply for these disaster funds, so they can get the relief they need.”

Farmers can learn more about this announcement and whether they are eligible for these funds at their local farm service agency office.

In 2019, Brown successfully lobbied for multiple counties to receive USDA disaster designations to help Ohio farmers suffering because of extreme rainfall and flooding.

With a USDA disaster declaration, Ohio farmers are eligible for USDA loans they need as they continue to work through a difficult planting season.