THE DIRT
The ongoing flooding in Nebraska and Iowa has pushed many farmers over the edge, making the next harvest an impossibility for some. Many have lost their homes, their farms, and their livelihood. At Dirt-to-Dinner, we thought some of you might want to know where to donate for our flooded farmers. Here is how you can help.
Floods sweep away livestock and buildings
Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa have been suffering through a natural catastrophe that has yielded unprecedented damage. The flooding that began in March was so strong that it literally swept away cattle and other livestock, never to be seen again. But the devastation doesn’t end there. As flood waters continue to roll in, farmers’ losses are compounded as time eats away at what would otherwise have been used to plant crops for the upcoming harvest.
– Ed Clark, Director of NOAA’s National Water Center
The timing of these floods couldn’t be worse for farmers and ranchers, many of whom currently struggle to keep their farms in operation. Farmers have been working on very slim profit margins with historically low commodity prices and punitive export taxes in ongoing trade wars. When this flood rushed in, it hit our farm belt like a tsunami.
The flooding also wiped out farmers’ reserves. Many farmers strategically store last season’s crops to protect against a downturn, like a rough trading climate or a bad storm. In fact, because of tensions with China, farmers stored more of their harvest last year than in previous years for such protection. Sadly, all those efforts – and lost income – went to waste.
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