Farms in Venango, Warren and surrounding counties eligible for funding

[From Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper's website] Washington—Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3) announced that farmers in Venango, Warren, Armstrong, Butler, Crawford, Erie and Mercer Counties are eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans (EM) and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) due to a late-season frost that occurred from May 8-10, 2010.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters, or quarantine. Emergency loan funds may be used to:

* Restore or replace essential property;
* Pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year;
* Pay essential family living expenses;
* Reorganize the farming operation; and
* Refinance certain debts.

Producers can borrow up to 100 percent of actual production or physical losses, to a maximum amount of $500,000. The SURE Program provides financial assistance for crop production or quality losses due to natural disaster. That assistance is based on a calculated formula.

The Pennsylvania State Farm Insurance Agency can be reached at (717) 237-2117. The individual county offices’ phone numbers are:

* Armstrong County: (724) 545-1022
* Butler County: (724) 482-4800 ext 2
* Crawford County: (814) 336-2127 ext 2
* Erie County: (814) 796-6760 ext 2
* Mercer County: (724) 662-2890 ext 2
* Venango County (Clarion County office): (814) 226-8160
* Warren County (Clarion County office): (814) 226-8160