Farmers in five counties to get access to emergency assistance, including loans Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared five counties in southern Maine as a disaster area because of the recent drought. Cumberland, Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc, and York Counties are all part of the disaster area, making farmers in those counties eligible for emergency assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), including emergency loans.
"This is one of the worst droughts in recent memory," Pingree said. "Unless farmers had access to significant water for irrigation, they probably didn't have a very good growing season. The disaster declaration makes emergency loans available for those who were hit the hardest so they can recover and get another crop in the ground next spring."
