Farmers in S. Dakota, N. Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska Eligible for Aid

Farmers in dozens of counties in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska are eligible for federal disaster aid.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it designated 16 South Dakota counties as primary natural disaster areas due to severe storms, drought and heat or grasshopper infestations. That makes farmers and ranchers eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

Farmers in contiguous counties also are eligible. That means the aid extends to about 30 other South Dakota counties, as well as five in North Dakota, four in Nebraska and three in Minnesota.

More information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

South Dakota counties affected are: Aurora, Beadle, Bennett, Brookings, Brown, Buffalo, Campbell, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Davison, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Shannon, Spink, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Walworth and Yankton.

North Dakota counties are: Dickey, Emmons, McIntosh, Richland and Sargent.

Nebraska counties are: Cedar, Cherry, Dixon and Sheridan.

Minnesota counties are: Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln and Yellow Medicine.