The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is coordinating relief efforts to assist farm and ranch families impacted by the wildfires burning across the state.
State officials say producers who have been affected and need assistance with hay, feed, fencing materials, equipment, volunteer help, or other supplies should contact the department directly.
Producers in need of help are asked to call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Callers should be prepared to provide their name, contact information, location including county, the type of assistance needed, and how urgent the request is.
Officials say Nebraska has seen an overwhelming outpouring of support from residents wanting to help producers affected by the fires. Individuals or businesses willing to donate hay, feed, fencing materials, equipment, household supplies, or other resources are also encouraged to call the same number.
Department staff are collecting information from both producers and donors in order to match available resources with the most urgent needs.
The department has also shared several locations serving as supply drop-off or coordination points for fencing materials and hay, including:
. Crusty’s Feed Store in Arthur
. Kraupies Northport Lot in Bridgeport
. Oshkosh Truck Shop in Oshkosh
. Gordon Livestock Market in Gordon
. Grant County Fairgrounds in Hyannis
. Heartland Lumber in Oshkosh
In addition to supply donations, several organizations are providing financial assistance and other resources for impacted producers.
Additional disaster relief resources, including information about United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency programs such as the Livestock Indemnity Program and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish, are available through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture website.
More information and a full list of resources can be found at: https://nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources