Relief is coming for farmers who experienced excessive moisture and flash flooding this spring and summer in 12 Illinois counties. USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a disaster designation for farmers in the following counties: Calhoun, Cass, Edgar, Jefferson, Jersey, McLean, Macoupin, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, St. Clair and Sangamon. USDA natural disaster designations also include contiguous counties adding Brown, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Ford, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Randolph, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Tazewell, Vermilion, Washington, Wayne and Woodford. A Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to provide emergency loans to producers recovering from natural disasters. Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to ask questions or file a Notice of Loss.