News

Some facets of flood recovery assisted by Rural Development

Flooding this year has done more damage than the drought of 2012, according to Colleen Callahan, the state director for USDA’s Rural Development in Illinois.  That agency, said Callahan, offers help for some of the flood damage to rural community infrastructure, such as water systems.

“Rural Development has loans and grants for replacement of water lines, for repairs, for waste treatment,” Callahan told Brownfield Ag News Monday.

Help with recovery from flood damaged crops is the jurisdiction of another USDA entity, the Farm Service Agency, said Callahan, but traveling the state, the former agricultural journalist has paid close attention to the effects of flooding.

“Not only is there still ponding of water, but in areas where the water has receded, what was there absolutely now looks like sticks,” said Callahan, referring to corn that has been underwater for an extended period.

Different facets of the economy recover to the extent that’s possible, said Callahan.  As an example, she tells Brownfield Ag News that manufactures who suffer the impact of flooding are able to begin producing when they recover, but she says it’s different for farmers.

“In agriculture, as you well know, we have one time a year to do this,” said Callahan.  “And to know that an entire production year has been impacted is stressful, to say the least.”

In some cases, Callahan says Rural Development will partner with banks by partially guaranteeing loans making it possible for damage in rural communities to be repaired.

AUDIO: Colleen Callahan (12 min. MP3)