The long term drought conditions we have been experiencing in parts of the county this summer have created a major hardship to many farms and especially those grazing and feeding hay to livestock. The USDA has made some disaster assistance available to all farms in Licking County with grazing animals. I can’t think of any grazing animals that are excluded. The Farm Service Agency is implementing these programs and will help you through the process. Many livestock producers may not have experience working with the Farm Service Agency. That will not stop you from receiving assistance. The workers will walk you through the process and let you know what may be available to you. The Licking County office number is 740-670-5340. We have not reached the deadline to apply but don’t put it off. Let your neighbors know about this also. To make your appointment go smoothly please see the tips below.
1. Before Your Visit:
Make an appointment by calling FSA and check on their schedule. An appointment will help to ensure prompt service as FSA offices can get busy, especially at times around program sign-up and reporting deadlines. Tell us about your operation and if you are experiencing a loss due to the drought. If you are interested in specific programs, let FSA know so they can have the correct staff member assist you. Contact information for each Ohio County FSA office can be found at: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=oh&agency=fsa.
2. Prepare:
Ask FSA staff what information you should bring to help make the most of your appointment. Examples could include lease agreements or property deeds, an official tax ID (such as social security number or employer ID), or legal entity paperwork, livestock inventory records.
3. Keep in touch with your local FSA office.
Let FSA know if your business changes, if you experience additional disaster or hardships, or if you have any questions about USDA programs and services. Ask FSA to sign you up to receive free electronic newsletter updates from the service center and the Ohio FSA state office. This provides you with information if new program signups are created by Congress and helps to provide producers with information regarding FSA services, loans, and programs sign-ups and deadline announcements.
To learn more about the programs and what may be available to you FSA has the online tools available below.
Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool
Learn about USDA disaster assistance programs that might be right for you by completing five simple steps. Visit https://www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery/disaster-tool
FSA Livestock Forage Disaster (LFP) Program Eligibility Tool
- If you grow forage for livestock and have recently gone through drought, this website https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/FSA/Home.aspx can help you find out whether you qualify for assistance. Qualifying for assistance is based on the U.S. Drought Monitor and on your county’s designated grazing periods. To use this tool, you will need to know your county’s grazing period and for Ohio the 2024 LFP Grazing period ends October 31, 2024. If you are not sure what it is, please consult your FSA County Office at: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=oh&agency=fsa.