By Jamie Martin
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated ten Wyoming counties as primary natural disaster areas due to extreme drought conditions. This declaration enables the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to offer emergency loans to support local farmers impacted by the drought.
The drought, which began on January 1, 2025, caused severe damage during the growing season. The affected counties met the U.S. Drought Monitor criteria of either eight consecutive weeks of D2 Severe Drought or conditions reaching D3 Extreme or D4 Exceptional Drought.
The eligible primary counties are Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Fremont, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sublette, and Washakie. Additionally, producers in contiguous counties across Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Utah also qualify for support.
Farmers can use these emergency loans to replace lost equipment or livestock, restructure farming operations, or refinance debts. The FSA evaluates loan eligibility based on the extent of damage, available security, and repayment ability.
The application deadline is November 25, 2025.
“Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts.”
To learn more, visit farmers.gov, where tools like the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool and Loan Assistance Tool can guide farmers through available resources. Farmers are also encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center for direct help or to file a Notice of Loss.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: National