Farm Rescue is a nonprofit organization, based in the Midwest, aiding family farms and ranches during a crisis. I learned about it from a friend, and immediately became interested in helping with it. I am passionate about supporting the agricultural community. In Washington County, Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, many farmers are struggling from a variety of factors.

I am now in my seventh year of involvement with Farm Rescue. This year, I volunteered along with other Farm Rescue volunteers in Iowa, helping to harvest corn on a 1,000 acre operation. The owner was very ill and his young family needed assistance. You never know where or when you will exactly be needed, because farming is a highly variable and fluid business.

Farm Rescue’s mission is to help family farms and ranches through difficult times by providing volunteer labor and farming equipment free of charge, allowing these farms to continue viable operations. In their mission statement, Farm Rescue explains the needs of those they help: “One of the biggest financial drains on a family is an unexpected medical injury or illness and, of course, a natural disaster. It is even more pronounced on a farm where a family’s livelihood depends on the ability to plant, harvest or provide for their herd.”

My hope is for people to appreciate the importance of farmers and the challenges of their livelihoods. I want people to understand that less than two percent of this country’s population feeds 300 million Americans, along with much of the world, three times a day. The intricacies and nature of the industry make agriculture a hard line of business, especially for family-owned farms. It’s not a factory job or a warehouse operation. When you are sick your coworker cannot back you up or be cross-trained. In farming, timing is everything and when the crops are ready they must be harvested, regardless of your health. When it comes to livestock and crop farming, it’s a high-stakes game determined by the market; costs like fuel, grain and fertilizer; and environmental conditions like soil health, rainfall and temperature. A farm’s annual profit fluctuates due to an endless list of complicating factors, and the margins are razor-thin for most.

The future of farming is why Farm Rescue exists. There are not many people jumping into the agriculture sector, because it takes a significant investment to successfully operate a farm.

With Farm Rescue, people can help in a small way and ensure farmers don’t lose their crops when calamity strikes their lives.

Farm Rescue helps those who are experiencing a catastrophic event. They step in and give a hand up, not a handout. The farmer is responsible for all the input costs of fuel, seeds, fertilizer and whatever else is required. John Deere is the keynote sponsor for Farm Rescue, so much of the equipment is supplied by John Deere, although it is operated by Farm Rescue volunteers.

Farm Rescue pays for volunteers’ room and board, but we must pay for our travel to get there. To be eligible for Farm Rescue assistance, an individual must undergo a strict application process, background check and drug tests. The nonprofit wants to ensure aid recipients truly have the needs they claim, and they must be specific about the help required.

The farms’ levels of need vary and I usually go for a week to help. One of my favorite operations to help with is harvesting. We work farmer hours — 12 hours a day. Some of the larger harvest crews consist of five people, each operating different essential parts of the mechanism: a combine, grain cart, road tractor, semi-trailer truck and more.

What is especially meaningful to me are the people I get to know through Farm Rescue. You step into their world and meet the most humble, honest and hard working people in the world. They’re cooking you homemade meals, and you’re really getting to know their families.

It’s an experience that can’t fully be described. You’re helping somebody you don’t know who may or may not make it later on down the line, but they are so appreciative of your time and your efforts. Many of the volunteers are retired farmers or, like myself, passionate about the land. Some are Farm Rescue recipients who give back, after they were helped by the organization.

Today, I carry that sense of service into my passion for the farming community, which is ultimately simply about helping your fellow man. You’re going to be remembered for something, and it’s not your job. It’s not about how much money you make. It’s about the way you make people feel and how you help them — that’s what you’re going to be remembered for.

Thomas Louderback, of Shepherdstown