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By Kenneth Dierschke
TFB President
Hurricane Katrina may have a feminine name, but she was no lady. This vicious storm may have caused more death and destruction than any storm on record, and perhaps is the biggest natural disaster in U.S. history.
The storm ripped into parts of four states. The death toll is staggering, the destruction beyond imagination. This is a tragedy that strains our previous understanding of the term.
We do not yet know the full impact of Katrina, and I won't guess about it here. We do know, however, that a lot of people need help. The farmers and ranchers of Texas want to help, too.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has set up a special relief fund called the "AFBFA Hurricane Ag Fund." We know that a lot of aid has already been mobilized for the stricken cities on the Gulf Coast. We are not so sure that the farmers, ranchers and rural communities in Katrina's wake will get the immediate help they so desperately need.
As is often the case, money is the most pressing need in a major disaster like this. Dollars give relief workers the flexibility to purchase what they need for their response effort. Also, dollars can be easily transferred to where they are needed, unlike food and other relief items. If you'd like to help, make out a check to AFBFA Hurricane Ag Fund and mail it to AFBFA/Hurricane Ag Fund, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20024. Checks made out to this fund are tax deductible.
The AFBFA Hurricane Ag Fund will be directed toward agencies that are serving the needs of rural communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
There is no doubt that many crops have been completely destroyed, livestock have drowned, farm equipment has been ruined beyond repair, farm buildings have been lost and the infrastructure of a thriving agricultural industry was almost completely destroyed. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fences have been washed away. Roads to farms have been severely damaged. Dairy farms are weeks away from operating again. Hay stored for winter feed is gone. The nation's busiest port, in New Orleans, is out of commission and may remain so for some time. Our friends on the Gulf Coast need our help.
There is another way to help, too. Our old friends at America's Second Harvest have generously responded to the aftermath of Katrina. Their first need is also money and they are accepting tax deductible donations.
Also, America's Second Harvest has sent much of their existing stocks of non-perishable food items and necessities to the hurricane zone, and more of these items collected by generous folks may be used to replenish those stocks. Non-perishable food, diapers and other items will be needed. Some of our County Farm Bureaus are already doing this. A list of what is needed can be found on the America's Second Harvest Web Site at http://www.secondharvest.org.
From the very beginning of America, farm and ranch families have always helped those in need, their neighbors and their friends. In today's global community, the circle of friends and neighbors is just a bit wider than it used to be.
There is no question that many of our fellow Farm Bureau members in these four states have suffered loss of loved ones, homes, treasured belongings and their very ability to make a living.
But for a change in winds or other whim of a sometimes cruel Mother Nature, this devastating storm could have struck Houston or Corpus Christi.
Here in our state, we have often been victimized by large killer tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters. No one in agriculture is a stranger to loss. This time, however, we were spared. It's our turn to help, and don't forget to pray for the victims and their families.
