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Ag chief to survey damage
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Rod Nilsestuen State ag secretary
Farmers and land owners who sustained property and crop damage in Lafayette County are receiving a little more state attention.

Today, state legislators Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, and Rep. Phil Garthwaite, D-Dickeyville, will be escorting state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Rod Nilsestuen on a tour of damage areas, in an effort to build a case for state and federal relief money.

On Tuesday, Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, explained in a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle, that 11 of the 18 townships in Lafayette County were affected by the storms, which took place July 24. He estimated that about 20,000 acres of corn and about 10,000 acres of soybeans were damaged.

Schultz and Hilgenberg are seeking financial assistance for people in Lafayette and Grant counties, which had crop damage as a result of last week's storms.

Schultz represents most of Lafayette County in the Senate. Schultz toured the damage there Monday and said it's sufficient to warrant assistance.

"This type of weather could not have hit at a worse time," Schultz said.

Farmers that had crop damage need to contact him at (608) 776-4870 and report any damage as soon as possible. They also can call the United States Department of Agriculture at (608) 776-4028.

Any federal or state assistance will be based on the assessment and total amount of damages.

Last week's storms resulted in hail, rain and at least one tornado.

Dime-sized to 1 1/2-inch hail fell on the western and southwestern portion of the county between 4:30 and 10 p.m. July 24.