Submitted Photo Bill Gross is founder and president of Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization observing its 20th anniversary. The organization has helped nearly 1,200 farm and ranch families in crisis. Photo from Farm Rescue.

It was an idea born 30,000 feet in the air during a long overseas flight.

Bill Gross, a former North Dakota farm kid and current 747 captain for UPS, was making small talk with his copilots. The topic steered toward their eventual retirement plans, to which Gross proudly proclaimed, “I’ve always wanted to be this good Samaritan who travels from farm to farm with a John Deere tractor and planter, helping families in crisis.” This generated some laughter until his fellow aviators recognized the sincerity in Gross’ statement.

Bill shared this same notion with a close friend and chaplain soon after, who challenged him not to wait until retirement to put his plans in motion. He never imagined the yield this small seed of an idea would produce.

Farm Rescue was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2005, and Gross immediately began rallying troops behind this noble cause. After countless in-person visits to local and regional businesses, he was able to secure the necessary financial and in-kind support to launch field operations. One of the greatest partnerships to arise from these initial conversations was with Ron Offutt and RDO Equipment Company. The well-known John Deere dealer graciously agreed to sponsor use of a tractor and air seeder for Farm Rescue’s inaugural season, with plenty of additional equipment support to follow. This partnership also helped open doors to greater contributions from John Deere at the corporate level, as well as garnering generosity from other local dealers like Gooseneck Implement.

“The challenges were huge in the beginning,” said Bill Gross, founder and president of Farm Rescue. “Not only did we need volunteers to serve as our boots on the ground, but we needed to raise awareness that this was a free service with no catches.”

In the spring of 2006, armed with a small handful of volunteers, the nonprofit assisted its first farm family in crisis – Matt and Laura Biel of Dickinson. Matt was a young farmer and father who had recently lost his dominant hand to an auger while transferring grain on their generational farmstead. While in the hospital recovering from amputation surgery, and with planting season on the horizon, his sister introduced him to a brand-new support option through Farm Rescue. After several conversations with Bill Gross, the Biels were approved for help. Equipment and volunteers (including Gross) were dispatched to assist with seeding work during Matt’s recovery and adjustment to his new way of life.

Two decades later, the Biels are still proudly operating their farm in southwest North Dakota and vividly remember the impact of Farm Rescue’s support.

“It definitely lightened the load and helped out a lot,” said Matt Biel. “It was a big relief knowing it was going to get done in a timely manner.”

“Looking back, it was exactly what Bill envisioned – ‘We’re going to go out there, we’re going to help this family, and get them over the hump.’ Twenty years later, Matt is still doing what he loves, and he was able to continue doing that because of that assistance,” said Laura Biel.

As Farm Rescue celebrates its 20th anniversary year, there are many milestones and achievements to reflect upon. What began as a free service for families in Gross’ home state of North Dakota has grown exponentially over time. Since planting its first seeds of hope for the Biels, the organization has extended a helping hand to nearly 1,200 farm and ranch families. In addition to planting assistance, Farm Rescue now offers haying, harvesting and livestock feeding services, as well as hay and commodity hauling support across nine Midwest states. Throughout its history, more than 1,000 volunteers from all corners of the U.S. have signed on to carry out the nonprofit’s mission. Hundreds of business partners, grantors and individual donors have provided the necessary financial resources, equipment and services to sustain these live-changing operations.

The true impact of Farm Rescue’s work has also been well-documented. An internal survey of assisted families showed more than 90% were still operating three years after receiving help. A recent economic impact study conducted by Mark Imerman, a renowned economist from Regional Strategic, Ltd., also revealed that every $1 Farm Rescue spends secures more than $10 in direct and indirect economic impact for farm families and the communities they support. All this to say, every farm family is a precious resource and Farm Rescue has provided many lifelines to these operations and the rural communities in which they reside.

“Our 20th anniversary means a great deal to me and the entire organization,” said Gross. “To see so many people step forward who truly believe in this mission has been very rewarding. It’s a great privilege to have assisted nearly 1,200 farm families in crisis thus far, and we look forward to helping thousands more throughout the next 20 years.”