The following is a press release issued by the County of Mendocino:
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides disaster designation due to agricultural losses caused by the freeze that occurred from February 21, 2022, through February 28, 2022
On July 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a Secretarial disaster designation for the primary counties of Butte, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo,and Yuba and the contiguous counties of Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Mono, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, Santa Clara, Shasta, Sierra, Trinity,and Tuolumne.
The designation makes USDA assistance available in the form of emergency farm loans for both physical and crop production losses as a direct result of the disaster, up to a maximum of $500,000. The application deadline is March 1, 2023, and assistance is available to farmers and ranchers who conduct family-sized farming operations.
To apply: Contact the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Ukiah at 707-468-9223.
Hearing-impaired individuals should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600.
Additional information can be found at the USDA website: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/index
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is also making Economic Injury Disaster Loans available pursuant to the USDA disaster designation. The SBA application deadline is also March 1, 2023, and assistance is available to small, non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private non-profit organizations of any size. Small businesses include those that do business directly with the growers, such as truckers and suppliers of agricultural equipment or services.
To apply: Contact SBA at 1-800-659-2955, or visit SBA’s website at: www.sba.gov/disaster, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov
Hearing-impaired individuals may call 1-800-877-8339.
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