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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Producers,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If your farm was affected by the tornados on March 14, there are some resources to consider. I encourage you to reach out to your
<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Ohio/index">county FSA office for details.</a> See below for a news release sent by USDA sent today.
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:25.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#494440;mso-ligatures:none">Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Designates 11 Ohio Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas due to Tornadoes Occurring on March 14<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed
emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index"><span style="color:#4A77B4">emergency loans</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">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. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability. USDA’s FSA offers these loans for losses caused by the tornado that occurred on March 14, 2024. The
deadline for producers in designated primary and contiguous counties to apply for loans is January 2, 2025. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Impacted Area</span></u></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">:
Ohio and Indiana<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Triggering Disaster</span></u></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">:
Tornadoes that occurred on March 14, 2024.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Application Deadline</span></u></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">:
January 2, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Primary Counties Eligible</span></u></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">:
Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland, and Union Counties.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Contiguous Counties Also Eligible</span></u></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Ohio</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none"> –
Allen, Ashland, Champaign, Clark, Coshocton, Fairfield, Franklin, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Knox, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morrow, Muskingum, Perry, Preble, Putnam, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, Wood and Wyandot Counties.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">Indiana </span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">–<b> </b>Adams,
Jay, Randolph, and Wayne Counties.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">More Resources</span></u></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.5pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">On farmers.gov, the <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/node/28989"><span style="color:#4A77B4">Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool</span></a>, <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/fsa-disasterassistance-at-a-glance-sept.-2021.pdf"><span style="color:#4A77B4">Disaster
Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet</span></a>, and <a href="https://lat.fpac.usda.gov/"><span style="color:#4A77B4">Loan Assistance Tool</span></a> can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available
programs, contact your local <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator"><span style="color:#4A77B4">USDA Service Center</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.5pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">FEMA offers different assistance programs for individual citizens, public groups including government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.
To find the FEMA help you need following a disaster event, visit <a href="https://www.fema.gov/assistance"><span style="color:#4A77B4">fema.gov/assistance</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">#<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.5pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#494440;letter-spacing:.75pt;mso-ligatures:none">USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="224" height="45" style="width:2.3333in;height:.4652in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DAA6F1.0D1A2F80" alt="The Ohio State University"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#BB0000;background:white">Nicole Wright</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"><br>
<span style="background:white">Aquaculture Extension Educator and LEARN Coordinator</span><br>
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#BB0000;background:white">Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333;background:white"> School of Environment and
Natural Resources<br>
Heffner Building, 352 W. Dodridge St., Columbus, OH 43202<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333;background:white">Phone: 330-202-3594<br>
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#BB0000;background:white"><a href="mailto:wright.1128@osu.edu"><span style="color:blue">wright.1128@osu.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333;background:white"> / </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#BB0000;background:white"><a href="http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/"><span style="color:blue">ohioseagrant.osu.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#404040;background:white">Pronouns: she/her/hers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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