On  Dec. 19, 2011, a natural disaster was declared in the State of South Carolina based on damages and losses caused by drought and excessive heat between June 1, 2011 and today.
In accordance with Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, five adjacent counties in North Carolina are named as contiguous counties where eligible family farmers may qualify for FSA emergency (EM) loan assistance. These counties are Polk, Cleveland, Rutherford, Henderson and Transylvania.
Gary E. Guinn of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that effective Dec. 19, 2011, farmers in Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties may apply for emergency loans for physical and production losses. Aug. 19, 2012 is the deadline for filing an application. The local office is located at 61 Triple Springs Road, Hendersonville and has office hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Any farmer who suffered a physical or production loss should contact the office for additional information.
– article submitted by Kelly  R. Springs