Farm Rescue volunteers recently took part in a massive hay operation, hauling hay to ranchers who lost hay supplies and fields when the largest wildfire in Texas history blazed through the Texas panhandle in March.
“Farm Rescue received many phone calls and messages in the aftermath of the fires from people requesting support, and the board of directors made a special exception to provide a bit of help. Our two trucks and volunteer drivers have been working diligently since late March to deliver hay to some of these impacted families,” said Dan Erdmann, Farm Rescue marketing program manager.
The wildfires burned more than 70,000 acres of land in central Nebraska and over 1.5 million acres in the panhandle region of Texas and western Oklahoma. The fires are now considered contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
“Although Texas and Oklahoma are not part of our current service footprint, the impact of these fires has been truly devastating for the farm and ranch families residing in those states,” Erdmann said.
Sponsors such as Nutrien Ag, Anheuser-Busch, and John Deere stepped up to provide funds to fuel the hay operation transport. The hay was donated by many ranchers in other states.
Tom Richards, a Farm Rescue volunteer from northwest Arkansas who helped seed wheat in mid-May at the Schaaf Farm south of Glen Ullin, North Dakoa, assisted with the hay operation. He related what he saw and heard when he volunteered to haul hay to Texas in March.
“It was called ‘Operation Hay Lift,’ and, of course, I wanted to help ranchers there. We picked up hay from donors everywhere from Tulsa to northern Kansas, and we hauled it down to Texas,” Richards said.
Erdmann pointed out that Operation Hay Lift helped 12 families in Nebraska, 18 families in Texas, and the volunteers are still delivering hay to 14 families in Oklahoma who applied for assistance. In total, 44 farm and ranch families were helped by the effort.
“It was devastating. I talked to Texas families that lost equipment and structures, such as barns and fencing, and lost cattle,” Richards said.
When Richards brought his first load to Texas, he saw miles and miles of pasture, that despite the wildfires, were already greening up. “It was a little deceiving because when I got there, it looked like just miles and miles of pasture, but I saw trees like we have here in the ditches and they would be burned and that’s where you could see that there had been a wildfire,” he said. “The other thing that was deceiving about it is that there were a lot of structures that got burned. For instance, the barn that was there before I drove through, it was not noticeable because all that was left was a slab.”
Richards saw the enormous need that was evident in the peoples’ faces, and he was glad Farm Rescue wanted to help. “It was a unique service thing that Farm Rescue chose to do, and I was glad to be part of it,” he concluded.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Another example of people in agriculture helping other farmers/ranchers during a time of need. Weather related disasters, wildfires, or even a tragic death of a neighbor can bring out the volunteers to assist those impacted. This is a great humanitarian story that really points to the values and spirit of rural America. Farmers/ranchers respect those who take time to get involved in their industry and their lives. The more you engage with the farmers/ranchers in your area and earn their trust – the greater the loyalty and sales.
