Benefit concert planned for Farm Rescue

Nonprofit dedicates their work to helping assist family farm workers

FARGO (KVRR) – A North Dakota-based nonprofit that focuses on helping injured farm workers is taking the extra step to help even more family farmers, including those affected by COVID-19.

Farm Rescue is helping dedicate their time through service work by lending a helping hand to Midwest farm families.

“With Farm Rescue we like to say we’re a hand up, not a hand out. There’s no money handed over to these farms and I don’t think a lot of them would want that,” Farm Rescue program manager, Dan Erdmann said.

The families being helped are those dealing with major health complications.

“One thing we decided kind of early on in the spring that we would support is farmers that are going through major difficulties with covid and with the pandemic. There are a lot of people dealing with cancer treatments. So, it’s important for us to come in to plant that crop or harvest that crop if they’re in the midst of ongoing cancer treatments,” Erdmann said.

Jason Johnson, who owns and operates a farm, is dealing with the impact of the pandemic.

He received some much needed help during trying times after receiving a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

“It would have been a lot more hours of working for me and it was kind of hard getting done with radiation and trying to get back into being able to work longer hours. I’d just like to thank the volunteers at Farm Rescue, Farm Rescue themselves its a wonderful organization. I’m still healing and I still get some tired days,” Sharon, ND farmer, Jason Johnson said.

To further help farm families dealing with health and pandemic related complications, a benefit concert will be held to help raise money.

“So all money raised through donations through this virtual concert is going to be donated to farm rescue. It’s free of charge so it’ll be five artist performing. You’ll also get to hear some stories from some of the folks that we’ve helped some of those families that have been touched by the helping hands of Farm Rescue,” Erdmann said.

The country benefit concert will be streamed live on YouTube Dec. 9 and will feature country artists; Dustin Lynch, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Travis Denning and Tyler Farr.

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