U.S. Sens. Feingold, Kohl, U.S. Rep. Obey: Welcome disaster declaration for Wisconsin ginseng growers

Contacts: Zach Lowe or Katie Rowley (Feingold) – (202) 224-8657

Lynn Becker or Dawn Schueller (Kohl) – (202) 224-5653

Sara Merriam (Obey) – (202) 225-3365

Legislators Petitioned for Declaration so Wisconsin Ginseng Farmers Affected by Snow and Cold Would be Eligible for Assistance

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that Wisconsin’s ginseng disaster declaration has been approved and several Wisconsin ginseng-producing counties will be eligible for assistance. Last month, U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl and Congressman Dave Obey pushed for federal disaster declarations for Wisconsin’s ginseng-producing counties, where May snow collapsed many of the protective shade structures and damaged the state’s premium ginseng crop. The disaster declarations were approved for Marathon, Langlade and Lincoln counties, as well as contiguous Clark, Forest, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Portage, Price, Shawano, Taylor, Waupaca and Wood counties.

“Having seen the damage caused by the snow and the cold firsthand, I know how badly assistance is needed,” said Feingold, who was in Marathon County immediately after the damage occurred. “I am pleased the Department of Agriculture has responded by making Wisconsin’s ginseng farmers eligible for assistance to help them repair the damage and salvage what they can of our state’s premium ginseng.”

“We appreciate USDA’s rapid response to our appeal on behalf of Wisconsin’s ginseng producers. These expert growers were forced to grapple with damaging weather that destroyed not only their crops but their capital structures too. We trust that this assistance will prove instrumental in our ginseng industry’s recovery,” Kohl said.

“Ginseng is vitally important to the economic health of this region of the state. We’re pleased that USDA has been so responsive,” Obey said.

A copy of the announcement from USDA is available here: https://ssl.capwiz.com/agdepartment/attachments/WI_Disaster_Designation_6_710.pdf