October 22, 2019

Flooding and farm stress

Topic: Issues

October 22, 2019: Mother Nature has not been kind to North Dakota this growing season.  Governor Burgum has issued a statewide flood declaration to help ease the burden and NDFB wants to remind farmers and ranchers that you are not alone.

Download the flooding and farm stress mp3.

Read the transcript:

This week Governor Doug Burgum signed a state-wide flood declaration, setting up North Dakota to receive federal funds for disaster. He also, along with Ag Commissioner Goehring, spent Monday meeting with farmers, ranchers, people who live in the rural areas across the most heavily devastated parts of the state. And we thank him for that.

They heard the views of people that have roads washed out, are going to have crop left in the field or they may even have losses in livestock. There may be bins sites they can’t get to, or feedlots they can’t utilize. There’s a multitude of problems out there.

Some are questioning why the statewide declaration. There are places all across the state that we have received photos of haybales sitting in a foot or two of water, fields having water halfway up on the crops, small grains still left in the fields at the end of October.

These stresses faced by agriculture and our rural communities need to be managed and handled. No one is alone in this. It’s covered a broad range of agriculture producers and small communities, and even our larger communities having to deal with an unusual flooding event, immense rain events, huge snow events, in October.

At NDFB, we want everyone to reach out, visit about it, talk about it. Know that you’re not alone. Work on solutions together. And advocate together on the behalf of every farmer and rancher in the great state of North Dakota.

You’re not alone. We are there advocating for the assistance needed to make sure that roads are open, you’re able to move your goods and your commodities when you are able to get to them and advocating for policy which strengthens rural communities.

Farmers and ranchers are a resilient bunch but don’t let that food anyone that the stresses at times can be overwhelming. Talk to your neighbors. If you live in a small community or in a large city, reach out to your friends that you know are out in the countryside that are having the struggles and don’t be afraid to stop by to the neighbors to just say hi. You don’t have to talk about how tough things are, but just stop by, because that is what we in rural North Dakota, the heartland of America, do for one another.  

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