Based in Horace, North Dakota, Farm Rescue is a unique nonprofit organization serving farm and ranch families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster. While other organizations and programs may offer financial support for struggling farmers, Farm Rescue is the only nonprofit that provides the manpower and equipment needed to keep a farm running while the family works to recover. From planting, haying and harvesting to commodity hauling and livestock feeding, Farm Rescue volunteers provide respite and peace of mind to struggling farm families when they need it most.
“One of the biggest financial drains on any family is an unexpected medical injury or illness and, of course, a natural disaster,” said Nate Clark, executive director of Farm Rescue. “That drain is even more pronounced on a farm where a family’s livelihood depends on the ability to plant, harvest or provide for their herd.
Over the past 20 years, Farm Rescue has had the privilege of supporting nearly 1,200 farm and ranch families in crisis. The strength and perseverance of these families and the generosity of our volunteers and donors are an endless source of inspiration.”
Farm Rescue began as a personal mission for founder Bill Gross. Having grown up on a family farm, Gross went on to become a commercial airline pilot, but his heart remained in agriculture and the rural communities he knew and loved. One day on a long flight over the Pacific Ocean, another pilot asked Gross what he was going to do when he retired. Without hesitation, he answered, “I’m going to be this Good Samaritan that buys a tractor and goes around helping farm families plant their crops when they have a major injury or illness.” And with that, the seeds of what would become Farm Rescue were planted.
In 2024, as Farm Rescue approached its 20th anniversary, the organization reached out to a number of potential donors. One of these was Land O’Lakes. With its focus on agriculture and community and a commitment to allowing its farmer member-owners and employees to maximize the impact of their giving, Land O’Lakes seemed like a natural partner for Farm Rescue.
“Land O’Lakes was aware of the good work done across the country by Farm Rescue, and we wanted to offer our support,” said Morgan Kinross Wright, vice president of community relations at Land O’Lakes.
“One of the things we were able to do was bring like-minded organizations to the table and promote the idea of a joint gift that would create more impact than we could provide on our own. Our partners at CHS and CoBank have similar philanthropic priorities and have joined us in a number of contributions. When we introduced the idea of a joint gift to Farm Rescue, these partners were all in.”
Together, the CHS Foundation, CoBank and Land O’Lakes committed $100,000 to Farm Rescue. While the partners have often worked together to support specific initiatives, especially in the area of disaster relief, it was decided that this gift to Farm Rescue would be unrestricted.
“Donors often give to specific projects, and while this type of giving is critically important to nonprofit organizations, it’s also somewhat limiting,” said Megan Wolle, president of CHS Foundation. “If a gift is restricted, it can only be used for the purpose intended — but what happens when an organization runs into unexpected expenses? By offering an unrestricted gift, we are able to help provide some financial flexibility for Farm Rescue, helping them to secure the longevity of its organization and strengthen its impact. With this gift, Farm Rescue is able to use the funding in whatever way will best support the organization and its mission.”
“CoBank has provided financial support to Farm Rescue since 2016, through our associate-directed giving programs and through Sharing Success, our customer matching program,” said Leslie Hagele, vice president of corporate social responsibility at CoBank. “We welcomed the opportunity to increase our support for this important work, especially in partnership with our friends at CHS and Land O’Lakes.”
“Farm Rescue is grateful for the support offered by CHS, CoBank and Land O’Lakes,” said Clark. “In our 20-year history, we have a great deal to be proud of and a lot of accomplishments to celebrate. But more importantly, with the help of donors and advocates like these, and the volunteers who make our work possible, we can accomplish so much more. We look forward to the steady growth of Farm Rescue and continuing to support farm and ranch families in need for the next 20 years and beyond.”
In 2024, Farm Rescue...
- Supported 102 farm families – 25 planting cases; 27 harvest cases; 4 hay baling cases;
46 hay hauling cases
- Planted and/or harvested 26,926 acres, including the following crops: corn (5,659 acres), soybeans (9,373 acres), wheat (9,848 acres), barley (410 acres), canola (742 acres), oats (236 acres), and peas (657 acres)
- Baled or hauled 4,343 round bales of hay, this support included transport from the Midwest to Oklahoma and Texas to sustain ranch families and operations after the 2024 wildfires
- Enabled nearly 16,000 hours of volunteerism, including 10,765 hours for in-field work and 1,991 hours for support in maintaining and transporting our fleet
Over 20 years, Farm Rescue has supported nearly 1,200 farm and ranch families facing injuries, illnesses and natural disasters. Since starting in North Dakota, Farm Rescue has expanded its core planting, haying and harvesting assistance services to Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In addition to these programs, Farm Rescue has offered emergency hay deliveries to several states, including Oklahoma and Texas.