6/19/08--For Immediate Release

Contact:  Leigh Adcock, 515-232-4082
              Wendy Wasserman, 319-400-2526
              Denise O’Brien, 712-243-3264

IOWA GRASSROOTS COALITION ORGANIZES DISASTER RELIEF FOR FAMILY FARMERS
Farm Aid Responds to Flooding with Family Farm Disaster Fund

IOWA--In response to the floods that have devastated homes and farms across Iowa, a coalition of the state’s farm and faith-based organizations is collecting donations with support from Farm Aid to provide emergency relief for farmers hardest hit by the floods, including farmers market vendors and other specialty crop producers. To enhance financial support of emergency relief efforts across the Midwest, Farm Aid has responded by activating its Family Farm Disaster Fund and making an initial donation to the Iowa coalition.

Midwestern family farmers have been hit with historic levels of storm and flood damage this spring. Without federal crop insurance, farmers who produce local foods for market are especially vulnerable. In a year when demand for locally grown foods is at its highest, many towns’ farmers’ markets have closed down due to flooding or product shortages.

"We have been hearing from family farmers all across the state who have been devastated by storms and flooding," said coalition spokesperson Denise O'Brien, an Atlantic farmer. "We want to get assistance to these farmers as quickly as possible, and we thank our long-time friends at Farm Aid for helping us out."

Visit http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723627/ to make a donation in support of relief efforts in Iowa and across the Midwest. Donations can also be made by check payable to Farm Aid, 11 Ward Street, Somerville, MA 02143. Please include a note specifying that the donation is in support of Iowa farm disaster relief.

The coalition so far includes the following groups and individuals: Buy Fresh Buy Local Iowa; Center for Rural Affairs; Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement; Iowa Farmers Union; Iowa Network for Community Agriculture; Iowa Organic Association; National Catholic Farm Aid Disaster Relief Rural Life Conference; Practical Farmers of Iowa; Women Food and Agriculture Network; Edible Iowa River Valley; Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development; and Atlantic farmer and advocate Denise O’Brien.

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family-farmed food. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the current system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

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