Rural Issue

1,500 miles to the neighbors

A special Easter delivery made it across the Midwest for Nebraska farmers impacted by extreme flooding. 

Beef producer and 4-H leader Todd Brink of Caledonia, Michigan tells Brownfield following the stories about the bomb cyclone’s impact over social media inspired him to find a way to help.

“The massive amounts of water when the damn broke at Spencer—a 20-foot wall of water coming at you and you’ve got limited time to get out, you didn’t have time to care for your stock, you just had to get out to save your own life—I can’t fathom that.”       

He feels fortunate compared to farmers impacted by severe weather this spring.

“We don’t really have much to complain about here.  We’re in a good spot in West Michigan.  We don’t have too many tornadoes, we don’t have floors, we don’t have fires, we’re very fortunate.”     

Kerry Tucker, local farmer and volunteer for Farm and Rancher Aid of West Michigan, tells Brownfield area farmers, schools, 4-H and FFA groups were able to raise more than $20,000 in feed and supplies for the 1,500-mile roundtrip as well as more than 200 Easter baskets for families.

“We’re just overwhelmed by the generosity that’s been given by West Michigan.  These people don’t even know the people that they’re helping out there and they just want to help.”  

During the trip she said to say it looked like a bomb went off would be an understatement.

“This is one of those things that just really changes your life, it puts a lot of things into perspective.”    

The group has also helped farmers and ranchers in past years impacted by wildfires and other extreme weather events.

Interview with Todd Brink
Interview with Kerry Tucker



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