Emergency loans for farmers in Michigan’s 2024 disaster areas
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EmailFarmers in 46 Michigan counties may be eligible for USDA Emergency Farm Loans; apply by November 28, 2025.
Farmers in 46 Michigan counties may be eligible for the Emergency Farm Loan program from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) due to natural disasters that occurred in 2024. Farmers in 15 primary counties with natural disaster designations as well as 31 contiguous counties, may qualify for emergency loans based on losses due to these natural disasters. See the list of eligible counties on the FSA website.
The Emergency Farm Loan program provides credit to help farmers recover from serious harm caused by drought, flooding, and/or frost. Each eligible county has specific natural disasters that are covered. The money can be used to replace damaged physical items such as equipment, livestock, buildings, or it can be used to cover the cost of replanting crops and other operating expenses. Loan funds can also be used to cover essential family living expenses or for refinancing debt.
To qualify, a farmer or rancher must be located in one of the primary or contiguous counties with a declared natural disaster. They also must have suffered a significant production or physical loss and not be able to get sufficient credit from other sources. If you live in a primary or contiguous county, the FSA Loan Assistance Tool can be used to evaluate your eligibility for an FSA loan.
Farmers may borrow up to 80% of the production loss, up to $500,000, but these emergency loans cannot duplicate other disaster aid. Emergency loans generally need to be repaid within 1-7 years for non-real estate purposes but up to 40 years for physical losses on real estate. FSA Emergency Loans typically have lower interest rates than commercial loans.
To sign up, farmers should contact their local FSA county office. They will need to complete the loan application and provide records confirming the loss. A farm operating plan and supporting financial documents will also be needed. The deadline for submitting an emergency loan application for disasters in these Michigan counties is November 28, 2025.
