Federal emergency disaster assistance is now available to farmers in 15 Iowa counties. The U-S-D-A has declared Guthrie County a “primary disaster area” due to long-standing drought conditions there. The move makes farmers eligible for low-interest loans from the Farm Service Agency. Farmers in the six nearby counties of Adair, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Dallas and Greene can apply for the aid, too, if the dry conditions have affected their operations. In addition, the U-S-D-A has declared Lucas County a disaster area due to damage from severe storms, flooding, high winds and hail that struck the area in late October. Farmers there are now eligible for those low-interest loans, and the designation extends to operations in the seven counties of Appanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Marion, Monroe, Warren and Wayne if storm damage occurred there as well.