Amador County is one of five California Counties designated as primary natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with Marin, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare Counties. Farmers in several other Counties adjacent to the disaster areas will qualify for government assistance programs, but special assistance will be designated to those areas hardest hit by statewide drought conditions. Amador farm operators will be eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the Department’s Farm Service Agency. Local farmers will have eight months from the time of declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their losses. Ongoing drought conditions and big winter freezes are primary reasons why farmers in Amador County have suffered underwhelming crop production. Although no local statistics are available, losses are mainly attributed to a freeze which occurred in March and April of this year. Crops of all types were affected, including Amador’s abundant grape yield. Dry conditions have also damaged at least 30 percent of farm crops in the affected counties, according to a memo by the farm bureau. For more information on the emergency programs available, visit the USDA website at the address on your screen.