Denver, CO — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated six Colorado counties as disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a hailstorm that occurred July 16, 2014.
Loss assessment reports completed by the Colorado State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) triggered the secretarial disaster designations. The designations make farmers and ranchers in Otero, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, and Pueblo counties eligible for assistance from the Farm Service Agency.
“Colorado’s farmers and ranchers know well how unexpected changes in weather can hamper their operations. Thankfully, we have a system in place to support these producers when weather events like last summer’s hailstorm cause heavy damages,” Bennet said. “These designations will make crucial assistance available to producers still dealing with those losses.”
Producers in counties designated as primary or contiguous disaster areas are eligible to be considered for FSA emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for assistance.
Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers and ranchers with additional information:
Bent County Farm Service Agency
760 Bent Ave.
Las Animas, CO 81054-1730
(719) 456-0120
Otero County Farm Service Agency
(Also serves Crowley County)
200 S. 10th St.
Rocky Ford, CO 81067-1714
(719) 254-7672, ext. 2
Kiowa County Farm Service Agency
409 E. Lowell
Eads, CO 81036
(719) 438-5851
Las Animas Farm Service Agency
3590 E. Main St.
Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-3681
Pueblo County Farm Service Agency
200 South Santa Fe Ave., 4th Floor
Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 543-8386
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