A nonprofit group in North Dakota that helps farmers in need has expanded its program. Farm Rescue, founded by an airplane pilot who grew up on a farm near Cleveland, North Dakota, helps farmers with planting or harvesting to keep up their operation when sidelined by illness or injury.
Last year the program helped ten farmers in the state. The group's board decided to extend the program to those within 50 miles of the North Dakota border, particularly if the farmer resides in the state but farms in Minnesota, Montana or South Dakota.
Farm Rescue was created in response to changing demographics of rural families. With fewer family farms today and the number of children per family has decreased, the organization says it becomes increasingly difficult for neighbors to help one another during times of crisis.
Farm Rescue has about 15 volunteers and a Fargo-based equipment company is supplying machinery for the program.