Article

From a polar vortex to tornados to excessive rain and flooding, Ohio has seen just about every challenge that Mother Nature can offer in 2019. Now farmers in all 88 counties of the state can sign up for disaster assistance after Ohio’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has declared every corner of the state a disaster area.

“Farmers who opted for Prevented Plant this year will already be getting some much needed help with ‘Top Up’ payments for those unplanted acres automatically, but more funding may be there for counties declared disaster areas,” said Jack Irvin, Ohio Farm Bureau’s senior director of state and national policy. “We are recommending that members visit their county FSA office to see what additional resources they might qualify for.”

Ohio had a record 1.5 million Prevented Plant acres of would-be corn and soybeans this year. 

Ohio wasn’t alone in the struggles of 2019. Parts of Iowa and Nebraska experienced heavy flooding along the Mississippi River, wildfires ravaged acres of the west and the southeast portion of the U.S. suffered major hurricane damage. All those affected by natural disasters will be looking for some assistance from the recently passed disaster relief bill, which allots just over $3 billion for agricultural losses.