Farm Rescue

Farm Rescue is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides assistance, free of charge, to farm and ranch families who have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster.

Our Mission

The mission of Farm Rescue is to help family farms and ranches bridge crises, so they have an opportunity to continue viable operations. Farm Rescue provides planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster. Farm Rescue has assisted nearly 1,000 farm and ranch families since our inception in 2005!

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.

Farm Rescue gives families a chance to continue their livelihood by providing the necessary equipment and manpower (free of charge) to get the job done.

History

Farm Rescue was founded by Bill Gross (right), a native of North Dakota. Like many farm boys before him, it was not possible to continue the family’s farming legacy at a young age due to financial constraints. His parents encouraged him to seek higher education in pursuit of a better life. Bill went on to attend the University of North Dakota to secure an undergraduate degree in BBA and was later awarded an honorary Doctorate degree of Human Letters. During his time at the university, he also secured several pilot ratings and an Airline Transport Pilot certificate.

However, his heart never left the farming and ranching community. From a bird's eye view as a Boeing 747 Captain, flying back and forth across our nation at 40,000 feet, Bill kept looking at the farms below. The changing demographics of rural America - fewer farms, less children per family, fewer neighbors - troubled him. And always in the back of his mind, he remembered his father's concern about what would happen to their farm should anything debilitating happen.

One day on a long flight over the Pacific Ocean, another pilot asked Bill what he was going to do when he retired. Without hesitation, Bill answered, "I'm going to be this Good Samaritan that buys a tractor and goes around helping farm families plant their crops when they have a major injury or illness.” That generated some laughter until his coworker realized Bill was serious. "Well, why wait until you retire?" he challenged.

Bill Gross launched Farm Rescue in 2005 and continues to serve in a volunteer capacity as Chairman of the board. The nonprofit has become a well-known, successful organization with dedicated volunteers throughout the nation and a strong following of supporters.

Areas Served

Farm Rescue provides assistance to farm and ranch families in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Farm Rescue has assisted over 800 families in crisis since its first case in 2006.