What Farm Rescue does

Farm Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Horace, North Dakota, that provides free planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling, and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families experiencing major illness, injury, or natural disaster. The organization deploys volunteer crews of 2–5 experienced operators using a sponsored equipment fleet that includes John Deere combines with 40/45-foot flex headers and 12-row corn headers, 60-foot no-till air seeders, 60-foot corn/soybean planters, GPS-equipped tractors, John Deere round balers, Haybuster livestock feeding equipment, and Chevrolet trucks. It also runs Operation Hay Lift, an emergency hay delivery program activated during wildfires, floods, and drought.

The organization is funded almost entirely through charitable giving. Revenue streams include individual and recurring monthly donations, planned giving via a FreeWill.com partnership, foundation grants, multi-tier corporate sponsorships ($500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, and $500,000+ tiers), and cause-marketing partnerships such as the Heaven Hill 'Family Farms First' initiative. Farm Rescue states that 85% of donations are allocated to field programs. Marketing combines digital content, social media, earned media, agricultural trade shows (Farm Progress Show), an annual Helping Hands Harvest Benefit Dinner & Auction, and the Giving Hearts Day campaign.

Since 2005, Farm Rescue has assisted more than 1,300 farm and ranch families and expanded from a single-state North Dakota operation to 11 states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Missouri. The organization maintains a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and was the recipient of the Daily Point of Light Award and the national Courage Project Award. In June 2026, Shari Rogge-Fidler was appointed Executive Director to lead the next phase of growth alongside founder Bill Gross, who continues as volunteer President.

Name

Farm Rescue

Legal name

Farm Rescue

Website

https://farmrescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Farm Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that provides free planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling, and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families in crisis across 11 U.S. Midwest and Mid-South states, using volunteer crews and sponsored John Deere equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Crisis Assistance

NAICS

Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine (115113), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forage Harvesting Services (Hay, Silage, Baleage) (AFACAAAE)

Keywords

• Agricultural crisis assistance
• Farm volunteer services
• Nonprofit farm support
• Emergency farm labor
• Rural community assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Horace

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Farm Rescue operates as a nonprofit organization funded entirely through donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. The organization states that 85% of donations are allocated directly to planting, haying, harvesting, and livestock feeding programs. Major funding comes from corporate sponsors at various tiers ($500,000+, $250,000+, $100,000+, $50,000+, $25,000+, $10,000+, $5,000+, $2,500+, $1,000+, $500+).
2. Recurring Donations: Monthly recurring donations are encouraged as a stable funding source to assist with forecasting and keep more volunteers in the field.
3. Planned Giving and Estate Donations: Farm Rescue accepts planned giving through wills, living trusts, and the FreeWill.com partnership to reduce estate taxes while supporting the organization long-term.
4. Cause Marketing Partnerships: Partnerships such as Heaven Hill Grain to Glass donate a portion of each bottle sale (up to $100,000 annually) to Farm Rescue through the Family Farms First initiative.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Farm Rescue is a nonprofit organization that deploys volunteer crews and sponsored agricultural equipment to provide free planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling, and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families who have experienced major illness, injury, or natural disaster. All services are delivered at no cost to eligible families across an 11-state Midwestern service area.

Product overview

Farm Rescue is a nonprofit charitable organization, not a technology product company. It offers a unified service program providing free agricultural labor and equipment assistance to farm and ranch families facing crisis. The core services include planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling, and livestock feeding assistance, delivered through a network of trained volunteers using sponsored equipment. An emergency response program called Operation Hay Lift provides critical hay deliveries during natural disasters. All services are provided at no cost to eligible families within the organization's multi-state service area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planting Assistance Free planting assistance providing volunteer labor and equipment to seed crops for farm families who have experienced major illness, injury, or natural disaster. Volunteers operate 60-foot no-till air seeders and 60-foot corn/soybean planters with GPS technology.
• Haying Assistance Volunteer assistance for cutting and baling hay crops, providing skilled labor and equipment during critical haying season to help farmers fulfill their commitments.
• Harvesting Assistance Free harvesting assistance using combines with 40/45-foot flex headers and 12-row 30-foot corn headers to bring crops in from the field and off to market when farmers cannot do so themselves due to crisis.
• Commodity Hauling Transportation assistance for moving harvested commodities to market or storage facilities for farm families in crisis.
• Livestock Feeding Assistance Livestock feeding assistance for ranch families unable to carry out essential daily animal care due to illness, injury, or natural disaster. Equipment is sponsored by Haybuster.
• Operation Hay Lift

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,300+ families assisted since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• John DeereflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor equipment sponsor ($500,000+ tier) providing combines, tractors, planters, and seeding equipment for Farm Rescue's field operations. John Deere at both corporate and local dealer levels provides equipment support and technical assistance for operations including Wisconsin launch.
• Anheuser-Busch (Busch Light)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship sponsor ($500,000+ tier) through its Busch Light brand. Partnership includes co-branded marketing assets (trucks, merchandise) and annual cause marketing through limited-edition farmer cans benefiting Farm Rescue.
• Nutrien Ag SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor at $250,000+ tier supporting Farm Rescue operations and expansion. Featured at Farm Progress Show with Farm Rescue pickup truck display and on-site representation.
• Farm ProgresscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Farm Progress Show providing Farm Rescue its own exhibit space ($250,000+ tier). Extensive visibility through booth presence, branded semi-truck at entrance, and collaboration with partner booths throughout the show.
• Heaven Hill Distillery (Family Farms First Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Family Farms First Initiative, Heaven Hill Grain to Glass commits up to $100,000 annually (up to $300,000 through 2028) to support family farms in times of need. A portion of every bottle sale of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass bourbon is donated to Farm Rescue.
• John Deere Seeding GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor at $100,000+ tier providing seeding equipment and support for Farm Rescue operations.
• HaybustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor providing livestock feeding equipment for Farm Rescue's ranch assistance operations.
• Heartland Chevy Dealers / Puklich Chevrolet / Ryan ChevroletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVehicle sponsors providing Chevrolet trucks used for transportation of Farm Rescue volunteers and equipment across service regions.
• Wyffels HybridscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor selling t-shirts at Farm Progress Show with proceeds benefiting Farm Rescue, featured in opening ceremonies.
• CargillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor at $25,000+ tier supporting Farm Rescue operations.
• CHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor at $25,000+ tier supporting Farm Rescue's mission.
• Farm Credit Services of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor at $5,000+ tier supporting Farm Rescue.
• Land O'LakesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor at $10,000+ tier supporting Farm Rescue.
• Iowa Soybean AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner that connected the Woodley family with Farm Rescue services. Featured at Farm Progress Show booth.
• Iowa CorncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner that connected the Woodley family with Farm Rescue services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farmland Trust: Larger, established nonprofit (founded 1980) focused on farmland preservation, conservation, and keeping farmers on the land. Overlaps in mission of protecting family farm viability, but addresses preservation and policy rather than acute crisis response.
• Center for Rural Affairs: Established rural advocacy nonprofit (founded 1973) serving family farmers and rural communities across the Midwest. Broader in scope (policy, community development) but shares the family-farm resilience mission.
• Quivira Coalition: Nonprofit focused on land stewardship and rancher/applicant support in the American West. Adjacent in serving working lands and rural producers, though the primary focus is ecological stewardship rather than acute farm crisis response.

Direct peers

• Farm Aid: Long-standing nonprofit (founded 1985 by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young) supporting family farmers through grants, advocacy, and a farmer hotline. Closest in mission (protecting family farms) but uses grant/advocacy mechanism rather than direct field labor.
• Ag Community Relief: Nonprofit that delivers hay, fencing supplies, and disaster relief directly to farm and ranch families in crisis. Closest direct peer in mission and mechanism: volunteer-driven, in-kind emergency response to U.S. farm families.
• Farmer Veteran Coalition: Nonprofit that helps military veterans transition into farming through grants, equipment, and training. Comparable as a nonprofit serving the resilience of family farm operators, though focused on veteran entrants rather than crisis response.

Others

• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Major Crop Input services and custom application company and one of Farm Rescue's core sponsors ($250K+ tier). Comparable as a scaled provider of on-farm custom services and a sponsor/customer-base overlap in U.S. row-crop agriculture.
• CHS Inc. Largest U.S. agricultural cooperative, providing inputs, crop services, and grain marketing to farm operators. Comparable as a sponsor ($25K+ tier) with overlapping Midwest farmer customer base and adjacent crop-services capability.

Emerging players

• AgriSafe Network: Nonprofit that trains agricultural health and safety professionals to protect the wellbeing of farm families. Smaller and more specialized (occupational health focus) but serves overlapping farm family population.

Regional players

• Do More Ag Foundation: Canadian nonprofit dedicated to mental health and wellbeing support for the agriculture community. Directly comparable in mission (supporting farm families in crisis) but operates only in Canada and addresses psychological rather than operational crises.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/farmrescueorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FarmRescue
• Facebookfacebook.com/FarmRescueOrg
• Instagraminstagram.com/farmrescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farm-rescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Farm Rescue