In the midst of this election season, the shocking devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton seemed to get attention from the candidates only briefly. Media coverage, meanwhile, has tended to focus on the bigger population centers, while the destruction to family farms and the food systems of which they are a part is barely mentioned. And yet, according to USDA estimates, crop losses alone could trigger seven billion dollars in insurance payouts, while the Associated Press reports damage to property could be as high as 26 billion dollars.
At Farm Aid, our hotline operators hear from farmers in the wake of these climate disasters regularly. Nearly 40 years ago, when Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp started Farm Aid to respond to the family farm crisis, millions of Americans called 1-800-FARM-AID to donate to the cause; today, however, the phone number serves as a hotline that farmers call to get support across a range of issues, including disaster relief. In this episode, we talk to two of Farm Aid's hotline operators Lori Mercer and Tony Glover to learn what they are hearing from farmers in the Southeast in the wake of these hurricanes. We will hear about the resources available to farmers in these circumstances and how we can all help by contributing to the Family Farm Disaster Fund.
