USDA Designates Blackford County a Drought Disaster Area; Emergency Loan Deadline Is August 31
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Blackford County as a primary natural disaster area due to the 2025 drought, making local farmers eligible for emergency loans with an application deadline of August 31, 2026.
The USDA Farm Service Agency issued the designation on February 5, 2026, under Secretarial Designation S6098. Blackford County is one of 13 Indiana counties receiving the primary designation. An additional 15 Indiana counties are eligible as contiguous counties.
The emergency loans can be used for replacement of essential equipment or livestock, reorganization of farming operations, or refinancing certain debts related to drought losses.
Farmers in Hartford City, Dunkirk, Montpelier, and throughout Blackford County who suffered losses from the 2025 drought have until August 31, 2026, to apply through the USDA Farm Service Agency. The designation was announced in February but is only now receiving local coverage.