Nappanee farmers look for financial aid after October tornado

by Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

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Owen Yoder from Nappanee may receive farmloan

Owen Yoder evaluates the damage done to his farm from the tornado that ripped through Nappanee on October 18th. Farmers needing financial aid after this fall's tornado may finally get the help they need. (WSBT Photo)

By Tiffany Griffin

Story Created: Dec 31, 2007 at 3:36 PM EST

Story Updated: Jan 3, 2008 at 1:19 PM EST

NAPPANEE — Farmers in need of financial aid after a devastating tornado may finally get the help they need.

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It's a story WSBT first brought to you Friday, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would provide assistance for several area counties.

But there are some restrictions.

The emergency loans are only available to farmers who suffered severe physical losses from the October tornado.

The majority of their income has to come from farming, and to qualify, their insurance didn't provide enough money to cover damage.

WSBT spoke to one farmer who may turn to the federal government for help.

Owen Yoder is slowly rebuilding his farmstead.

"And everything was just pretty much gone. It was just leveled off,” said Yoder.

It was hit hard by the October 18th tornado. Owen was gone when it struck but his wife was in the basement of their home. She was injured but is on the mend. It will be some time before his entire farm will recover from the damage.

”Our home was completely destroyed. We did save a few personal items. The house was leveled off, and the barn, and the pole barn. I had two barns. I lost some implements. And we had about $100,000 worth of damage just on the equipment itself. I have lost three vans that were totaled out.”

In addition, some of his silos were destroyed and he also lost 18 trees. A new home is close to being rebuilt on site along with one of his barns.

But he still has a ways to go in the rebuilding process.

Given the severity of his losses he says he definitely wants to look into the emergency loan program and will do what it takes, he says, to get an application on file.

“Yes, I am very much interested now that the USDA is offering this loan. And I am sure that we'll cash in on that and see whether it’s going to be available for us,” said Yoder.

You can contact your local Farm Service Agency for information about loan applications.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency turned down Nappanee's request for disaster assistance.

The governor has appealed that decision.

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