NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Nine Northern California counties – including Lake – have been named eligible for USDA emergency farm loans.

Pursuant to the Secretary of Agriculture’s designation of an emergency in the state of California on June 30, 2011, the nine counties were determined to be eligible because of physical and production losses resulting from unseasonably warm weather followed by freezing temperatures, which occurred Nov. 23, 2010, through March 1, 2011.

The eligible counties are Lake, Butte, Plumas, Colusa, Mendocino, Shasta and Trinity.

Farmers in all nine counties have eight months to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

Some of the eligibility requirements are listed below:

• Have suffered at least 30 percent loss of normal production directly related to the above-cited cause;

• Be able to repay the loan and any other loans;

• Be unable to obtain credit elsewhere;

• Have adequate security;

• Have multi-peril crop insurance, if available; and

• Meet other eligibility criteria.

All applicants must complete a certification of disaster losses, which reflects the exact dates and nature of the designated disaster and how it caused the loss or damage.

Crop insurance field reports may be a source for documenting losses directly related to the cited cause.

The authorization from Farm Service Agency to accept emergency loans under this authorization expires on March 1, 2012.

Applications should be filed with your FSA Service Center at 2 Sutter Street, Suite C, Red Bluff, CA 96080.