12/20/06 Emergency farm loans triggered

Washington Ag December 20, 2006 A Presidential disaster designation for Westside counties has made low-interest emergency loans possible for agricultural producers in most counties on the Westside of Washington and a few contiguous counties in Eastern Washington. That's the word from Jack Silzel, State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency. The designation was due to damage and losses caused by severe storms, flooding and landslides which occurred during early November. Counties included in the designation are: Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum. Contiguous counties include Chelan, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Whatcom and Yakima. Check with you local FSA office for details. Disaster designations aside, Silzel, who just recently took over the job of State FSA Director, says he would like to emphasize outreach. Silzel: "Due to tight budget problems and everything else that has had to be kind of put on the back burner. I remember the state committeemen, the chairmen, they used to be at everyone farm meeting I went to. And you really you knew who your state committeemen were. We don't see them very much out in the community anymore and I am really wanting to get more outreach." I'm Bob Hoff.