News
Sowing seeds from the heart
by Mark Parker
Frontier Farm Credit and its customers can take plenty of pride in a crop growing nearly 9,000 miles away. South of the equator in Zimbabwe, there’s a field of corn that’s above knee-high right now and it’s going to make a big difference for innocent people victimized by horrible conditions.
The planter that put the crop in the ground, the seed and the fertilizer was purchased by Tractors For Our Daily Bread, thanks in large part to contributions from Frontier Farm Credit and its members. Tractors For Our Daily Bread has been ministering to needy people in the U.S. and around the globe since 1994. The non-profit charity is unique on more than one level. First, the endeavor is deeply rooted in agriculture and, second, 100 percent of donations go directly to the ministries it supports.
“Thanks to the generosity of those who support us, I can physically hold children who would not otherwise be alive today,” says Floyd Dowell who, along with his wife, Gayle, coordinates the Manhattan, Kansas-based organization. “If this recent shipment — the one Frontier Farm Credit and their customers contributed to — had not gone out, there are people who would have died. That’s the stark reality for these people who are innocent victims of terrible situations.”
Frontier Farm Credit’s involvement began with a donation of 1,000 shirts and blossomed into a $5,000 seed money commitment in which the agricultural lender matched donations from its customers and friends in the farm community. The “harvest” of that seed money was a combined donation exceeding $25,000. Some of the money went for the planter and planting supplies, but much of what Tractors For Our Daily Bread sent to Africa will fill much more immediate needs.
In November, a 40-by-8-by-8 foot container left Manhattan headed for Eden Children’s Village, an orphanage in Zimbabwe that includes a farming program. Inside the container were a variety of farm supplies, clothing and thousands of fortified rice meals for severely malnourished kids — children whose lives are on the line.
Even the container itself will benefit the African farmers as a grain storage structure. Dowell knows a lot about the importance of protecting stored grain from pests, since he is a researcher with USDA’s ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research. Producing grain is difficult enough in Zimbabwe but food shortages there are exacerbated by poor storage that results in a large portion of grain being consumed by rats and insects.
From shirts to grain storage, Tractors For Our Daily Bread’s recent shipment is something in which the folks at Frontier Farm Credit take a great deal of pride.
“This has been a tremendous project,” says Frontier Farm Credit Board Chair Bill Miller. “It’s a great way to share our blessings with those who are less fortunate. It’s all about farmers helping farmers to help themselves, and I applaud the Frontier Farm Credit staff for its commitment as well as that of our friends and customers.”
Miller, a Flint Hills rancher, has been particularly touched by the suffering of the young who live in such dire conditions through no fault of their own.
“We have so many resources that we take for granted,” he adds. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case for so many around the world. It’s very heartening to see the ag community respond to their needs, and I think it speaks to Frontier Farm Credit’s commitment to the power of agriculture.”
According to Dowell, the contributions from Frontier Farm Credit far exceed the dollars that were donated. “It also helps to raise awareness,” he explains. “This will spin off from a core group and, hopefully, more people will become involved and contribute. Down the road, I’m sure we’ll get more donations that can be traced back to this generosity.”
And even the smallest donations are very much appreciated, Dowell adds. In addition to monetary contributions, Tractors For Our Daily Bread gathers and ships farm equipment to help the poor more effectively grow their own food. As farms here in the U.S. grow in scale, small farm equipment is less desirable but it’s often perfect for Third World farmers. Over the years, Tractors For Our Daily Bread has sent numerous small, used tractors to Africa and other places. The most recent shipment included a small square hay baler and a grain auger as well as farm shop tools and other items.
Additionally, volunteers help load and ready the items for shipment.
“Believe me, it all makes a difference in people’s lives — especially for the children,” Dowell asserts. “Everything we are able to do is directed at helping those in need. We spend nothing on overhead so we appreciate any kind of support.”
To learn more about Tractors For Our Daily Bread, log on to their web site at www.tractors4bread.org. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Floyd and Gayle Dowell at Tractors For Our Daily Bread, 3310 Germann Drive, Manhattan, Kan. 66503.
877.744.7144 | Copyright © 2012 — Frontier Farm Credit
