Blog | December 20, 2011

Answering the Call

JoelFor 26 years, Farm Aid’s Hotline has answered calls from farmers in need. Family farmers call 1-800-FARM-AID because they know we’re here for them — whether they’re trying to rebuild after a weather disaster or they’re looking for resources to make their farms thrive for generations to come.

But we can’t keep up our work without your support — please consider making a year-end gift to Farm Aid today. If you give now, your donation will be doubled, thanks to a generous supporter. Your gift will deliver a helping hand at just the right time for farmers in need.

This year was a busy one on Farm Aid’s hotline:

  • As prolonged drought devastated farms and ranches in Oklahoma and Texas, Farm Aid coordinated farmer-to-farmer hay lifts. Working with farm advocates, church groups and social service organizations in both states, Farm Aid helped deliver donated hay to farms and ranches in need.
  • When spring flooding damaged farms throughout the Missouri River watershed region, Farm Aid provided disaster funding to affected farm families.
  • And, with small and mid-sized farms hit by the ongoing credit crunch, Farm Aid organized a National Meeting of Farm Advocates to coordinate financial, disaster and emergency response for farm families facing crisis. These are the folks who deliver one-on-one financial expertise to the farmers who need it.

I grew up in farm country and family farmers are some of the most resourceful and independent people I know. If they’re asking for help, I know they really need it. With your support, Farm Aid is determined to see them succeed.

Farmers of all kinds contact the hotline for help. In recent months, I’ve spoken with:

  • A dairy farmer in Wisconsin whose husband died suddenly this year and whose teenage son is hoping to continue the family tradition of milking cows;
  • A contract poultry farmer in Georgia seeking to transition his farm to a grass-based operation;
  • A young farming couple in Iowa looking for sustainable alternatives to chemical-intensive production of corn and soybeans.

The support Farm Aid provides means that family farmers can stay on the land, caring for the environment and providing us all with good food. For 26 years, Farm Aid has been there for farmers who count on us. Can we count on your support to ensure that family farmers will thrive?

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