IARN — A nonprofit organization that aided western Iowa farmers during the Missouri River floods of 2019 is now trying to help ranchers impacted by wildfire and drought in the western Dakotas and eastern Montana.
Farm Rescue is a nonprofit that provides planting, haying, harvesting and livestock feeding assistance free of charge to farm and ranch families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster. The organization is activating what it calls “Operation Hay Lift” to haul much-needed livestock feed to ranches affected by natural disasters in Montana and the Dakotas.
Farm Rescue program manager Dan Erdmann recently told IARN affiliate KMA that they are calling for hay donations, volunteer CDL drivers and monetary gifts to help support the mission, which will be contingent upon available resources.
“We’re dedicated to basically extending the livelihood of farmers and trying to leave something for the next generation,” Erdmann said. “We do that through volunteer based planting, haying, harvesting, and livestock feeding assistance.”
Ranchers affected by wildfire or those operating in D2 (Severe Drought) zones or higher are asked to fill out applications for hay hauling assistance, which will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Ranchers facing challenges due to wildfire and those residing in D3 (Extreme Drought) zones or higher will be given priority on any available donated hay. If the volume of donated hay does not meet the need requested through submitted applications, ranchers may still qualify for hauling assistance depending on proximity to their farm.
Erdmann looked back on the time Operation Hay Lift supported farmers in western Iowa.
“That was the second time we launched the Operation Hay Lift campaign. We hauled over 100 loads of hay to some of the folks who had lost so much to those flood waters, especially in Nebraska,” Erdmann said. “There were a lot of hay drop sites because we couldn’t get to so many of those farms but we were very active in that area in the spring of 2019, just trying to get the much needed cattle feed to a lot of those folks who were affected.”
For more information on how to help the team at Farm Rescue, visit farmrescue.org.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network
Photo courtesy of Farm Rescue
