U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has declared an additional 23 Iowa counties disaster areas due to the drought. This designation makes farmers within these counties eligible for additional assistance from local FSA (Farm Service Agency) offices, including FSA emergency loans, when provided eligibility requirements are met.  Contact your local FSA office for additional information.

These counties include: Clarke, Emmet, Madison, Taylor, Union and Warren. Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Adair, Adams, Clay, Dallas, Decatur, Dickinson, Guthrie, Kossuth, Lucas, Marion, Montgomery, Page, Palo Alto, Polk, Ringgold, and Wayne.

All other eligible counties in Iowa have already been designated as primary natural disaster counties.