Farm Rescue, a non-profit organization that provides planting, haying and harvesting assistance free of charge to farm and ranch families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster, is currently accepting applications for livestock feeding assistance.

The program, now in its second year, provides volunteers and equipment to support livestock feeding when a rancher is unable to perform the work, due to a crisis. Equipment has been provided by Haybuster (a division of DuraTech Industries) of Jamestown, ND. Volunteers may also operate rancher-owned equipment, if needed.

Farm Rescue has steadily increased its capacity to help more producers each year, including a growing number of ranch families. The non-profit added haying assistance services in 2012 and recently completed “Operation Hay Lift,” in which hundreds of loads of hay were delivered to ranchers affected by severe drought. The livestock feeding assistance program provides a short-term means of sustaining cattle herds when ranchers are unable to perform the work themselves.

“We are proud to continue offering this service to area ranchers,” said Bill Gross, founder and president, Farm Rescue. “We recognize the challenges that hard working ranchers face on an on-going basis. Livestock still needs to be fed when crisis strikes unexpectedly and it’s our goal to provide timely livestock feeding assistance when a ranch family is in the recovery phase of a major injury, illness or natural disaster.”

The North Dakota-based nonprofit now provides support in six states throughout the Midwest and offers livestock feeding assistance throughout its entire service area. As with all Farm Rescue services, livestock feeding assistance is provided through the work of volunteers. The organization is seeking additional volunteers for the ranch-focused program. Anyone interested in joining the Farm Rescuer family of volunteers to help ranchers should submit a volunteer form at www.farmrescue.org.

Farm Rescue has helped nearly 600 families since its inception in 2006. The organization’s mission is to help farmers and ranchers who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster by providing the necessary equipment and manpower to plant, hay or harvest their crop.