Farm Rescue begins planting operations
Mindi Grieve of North Dakota Farmers Union joined Bill Gross of Farm Rescue during an event to recognize sponsors of the new non-profit
program. Farm Rescue helps producers who have suffered a crisis get their crops planted.
Farm Rescue will use its resources to help 10 farmers in
organization founded to help family farmers in crisis, due to health concerns or other unexpected circumstances.
Farm Rescue’s resources include equipment and cash donated by numerous
Dakota Farmers Union, and volunteers who lend their time and abilities to the effort. Farm Rescue has already planted more than
1,500 acres for two farmers in southwestern
This year, 16 farmers submitted applications. “This is good progress for our first year of operation. Some farmers were reluctant to
request assistance. Farmers need to understand that we all need a helping hand during a time of crisis,” says Bill Gross, who founded
Farm Rescue. All financial and medical information is kept strictly confidential. Information is only used to determine eligibility for
Farm Rescue assistance.
Farm Rescue will assist three farmers west of the
Ashley and one near Wahpeton.
For now, Farm Rescue has funding to assist eight of the ten farmers whose applications were approved by an independent review committee.
The other two will receive help if additional funds come in. Farm Rescue operations are made possible by a group of “good-hearted,
volunteers and sponsor businesses that support the tradition of family farming,” says Gross. He says Farm Rescue’s mission is to
provide assistance to farm families who have experienced a major illness, injury or an act of nature that has caused undue financial
hardship. Farmers who qualify for assistance from Farm Rescue will be eligible to have up to 1,000 acres of their agricultural land planted
free of charge.
“The high level of support is an indication that businesses approve of the Farm Rescue program and our mission of ‘Helping Family Farmers
in Crisis.’ Farm Rescue is a win-win program for farmers and businesses alike,” says Gross. “Family farmers receive assistance and
businesses can lend a helping hand to a large number of farmers through the Farm Rescue program. Farmers and the general public are
taking note of which businesses are stepping forward in support of Farm Rescue.”
Businesses and organizations have been quick to provide equipment, cash, or other materials to support Farm Rescue’s work. Individual
volunteers have also stepped forward. “We only have four volunteers at any given location. They are designated equipment operators for
the entire spring. However, the field support volunteers change from location to location due to their regular work schedule,” adds Gross.
Although in its first year of operation, Farm Rescue was set up as a long-term initiative to help farmers and ranchers recover from
serious setbacks. “The startup of Farm Rescue has taken more time and energy than I expected However, any worthwhile endeavor is usually
that way. I am confident that the Farm Rescue program is structured appropriately and will provide relief during a time of crisis to many
family farmers in the forthcoming years,” says Gross. “The next step would be to provide harvesting assistance if there is available
funding. We have additional plans to help family farmers, which will be announced in the future. However, we must build upon a solid
foundation of support before proceeding to other methods of assistance.”
Contributions of equipment, money or time are welcome. To learn more about Farm Rescue’s needs and operations, send an e-mail to
infor@farmrescue.org or log onto www.farmrescue.org.
Reprinted with permission of Union Farmer, North Dakota Farmers Union