Disaster can strike anywhere, at any time. At Rural 1st our top priority when disaster strikes our rural communities is our customers and team members’ safety and wellbeing. When disaster does strike, our team members are quick to travel to homes and farms that may have been impacted by storms or other natural disasters to help them navigate the aftermath. They offer support in whatever way they can, from physical assistance to helping families navigate loan options and federal aid programs to get them back on their feet.
For example, when team members and customers in east Tennessee heard about the record wildfires along the Texas panhandle earlier this year, they immediately knew they wanted to help. 1.2 million acres and thousands of cattle were consumed by the Smokehouse Creek Fires, leaving farmers and ranchers devastated and in need of support. For those whose herds were spared, hay bales were a desperate need.
Customers and team members partnered to donate hay bales to ranchers impacted by the fires. They also secured trucking, using dollars through our community investment program, to deliver the donated hay to Robertson County, Texas, an area impacted by the fires.
But it’s not just the immediate needs that our team members at Rural 1st strive to meet.
“After a natural disaster, it can take months or even years to rebuild communities and restore farms, homes and lives,” said Randy Barbee, Community Investment manager. “In addition to boots-on-the-ground volunteerism, we contribute funding to the hardest hit regions and support our nonprofit partners in ways that best align to the needs of their particular community.”
Since 2020, we have contributed several hundred thousand dollars to disaster relief and rebuilding efforts across our territory. Oftentimes, for large-scale disasters, our Farm Credit partners come together to amplify our collective impact, showcasing the strength and dedication of the Farm Credit System. Through tornadoes, floods and fires, Rural 1st is committed to helping rural communities rebuild after disaster.
Our commitment to community support is not an isolated event—it is a cornerstone of our cooperative. It is in times of crisis that our true character is revealed. When disaster strikes, our team members demonstrate our dedication to serve our communities as more than a lender.
