[Photo credit: KOAA]

The Colorado Farm Bureau Foundation has activated its disaster relief fund to support farmers and ranchers who have been affected by the many fires burning throughout Colorado. One hundred percent of donations will be distributed to agriculture producers who have suffered losses due to these fires.

“Our hearts go out to producers who see their lands go up in flames,” said Don Shawcroft, President of the Colorado Farm Bureau. “We are working to raise funds that may ease the pain of losses suffered because of fires.”

Several fires are burning throughout the state, including the Spring Fire, the third largest fire in the state’s history having already burned more than 100,000 acres near La Veta, Colorado. The 416 fire near Durango has burned more than 50,000 acres, with new fires popping up in the High Country and around the state. These are added to fires that tore through the southeast part of the state earlier this year. Including, the 117 fire which scorched more than 40,000 acres southeast of Colorado Springs and the Badger Hole fire in Walsh which destroyed more than 29,000 acres in Colorado and 19,000 acres in Kansas.

These fires are are the continuation of a long, painful fire season. With moisture levels far below normal, the conditions are ripe for these kinds of disasters. Colorado Farm Bureau stands ready to support the agriculture community during this and future times of need.

“We hope that folks from across Colorado will dig deep to help their neighbors in need,” said Shawcroft. “Agriculture is already hurting from dry conditions, severe weather and low prices. These ranchers must now figure out how to provide for their cattle with no pasture to graze them on. The unanticipated expense of purchasing feed will be difficult to overcome.”

The fires that start with the tiniest spark turn extreme and disaserious with extremely dry conditions, unpredictable winds and low humidity. With thousands of acres of pastureland burned, hundreds of miles of fences destroyed and livestock killed by the blazes, ranchers in the area will be faced with difficult financial decisions as the summer season progresses.

The Colorado Farm Bureau has a long history of raising funds for disaster relief. Most recently the Foundation raised funds for victims of the Logan/Phillips fire, which burned 30,000+ acres in March of last year. The Foundation was successful in raising and distributing more than $350,000 in funds for impacted farmers and ranchers.

Checks payable to Colorado Farm Bureau Foundation, cash and credit card payments are being accepted at this time. Please note Disaster Fund-CO Wildfire in the memo line on the check. Cash and checks can be sent to:

Colorado Farm Bureau Foundation
Attn: Disaster Fund
9177 E. Mineral Circle
Centennial, CO 80112

Click here to make an online donation. All major credit cards are accepted.

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About the Colorado Farm Bureau Foundation

The CFB Foundation is the 501 (c)(3) charitable foundation of the Colorado Farm Bureau. The foundation operates a catastrophic disaster fund dedicated to assisting farmers and ranchers in need following agricultural disasters such as blizzard, flood or wildfire. The fund was initially established to assist farmers and ranchers in southwest Colorado following devastating blizzards of 2007 and has been activated to support victims of the Heartstrong Fire in Yuma in 2012, the Colorado floods of 2013, the 2017 Northeast Colorado Wildfire and other rural natural disasters.