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Ag Community Relief rallies hurricane support

A network of agricultural communities is linking up to deliver much-needed resources to farm families impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Matt Schaller, president of the Michigan-based nonprofit Ag Community Relief, tells Brownfield they’ve partnered with North Carolina State University Extension and Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association.

“The road system down there has been so devastated that we can’t get big trucks into a lot of these places, so they’ve set up these collection points where they’re collecting the hay and they’re collecting the feed,” he explains. “They’re actually loading it on helicopters and delivering it out to some of the remote areas.”

Schaller says the volunteers within the group activated shortly after news of the devastation spread.

“We’ve just had an outpouring of support from New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, states we’ve helped in the Midwest,” he says. “Producers out there that have seen disasters themselves have contacted us and wanted to help. So we’re able to connect everybody together.”

Since 2017, the organization has been supporting farmers and ranchers impacted by natural disasters across the U.S. Schaller says donated hay and truck haulers are especially in need right now.

“We’ve heard stories of the valleys washing completely out in some of these family-run operations,” he shares. “The topsoil and everything was washed right downstream. Not only do they need help going into the winter months down there, but they’re not even able to grow a pasture.”

Schaller says volunteers are committed to helping communities over the long term and will send resources as long as the donations continue. Follow the effort on Facebook.

AUDIO: Matt Schaller, Ag Community Relief