Our Chatham County agribusiness stores have stepped up to aid farmers in western North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene. They could use your help to continue their efforts and benefit even more farmers as this need will persist for many months to come. Read on to learn how you can help!

Country Farm & Home

Country Farm & Home in Pittsboro, owned by Melinda Fitzgerald, has been working with Cooperative Extension and NC Choices to identify distribution points and farmers in need. The focus immediately after the hurricane has primarily been on livestock farmers but Melinda is committed to helping all farmers as we identify their needs.

“Helping each other in a time of crisis strengthens our local and regional economies,” said Melinda. “I am a big proponent of reinvesting money in our community, and I consider western NC to be part of our greater community. Supporting each other makes us all more resilient and equipped to weather the next storm.”

Country Farm & Home is in a unique position to help farmers because they sell farming supplies to farmers across the state and also have the trucks to transport the supplies. Melinda gets a specific list of supplies that farmers need and then orders and delivers them to designated drop-off locations. The first two truckloads Country Farm & Home delivered were full of about $14,000 worth (wholesale value) of fencing supplies and livestock feed to farmers in need. Donations cover the cost of the supplies and Country Farm & Home donates their labor, trucks, and transportation expenses. 100% of the financial donations received through Country Farm and Home are used to cover the wholesale cost of supplies going to help farmers.

This week Country Farm & Home has had requests for over $20,000 worth of supplies that they are currently working on to deliver but they need community support to be able to help fund these purchases. This is just the beginning and Melinda hopes to continue these efforts as long as community support continues.

In an effort to track donations and deliveries and be fully transparent to those donating funds, Melinda created a Google sheet so that anyone can see where donated funds are going:

Country Farm and Home WNC Farmer Donations:  Accounting of Inventory and Contributions

How You Can Help:

If you would like to contribute financially to help Country Farm & Home source farm supplies, you can do so in one of the following ways:

Venmo: @CFHsupply
Credit card payment:  Call the store at 919-542-3353
ACH draft:  Call Melinda at 919-545-4429
Check:  Mail to Country Farm and Home, 203 S. Small Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312; please write “Hurricane Helene Farm Supplies” on the memo line.

If you know of farmers in western NC who have specific needs, email Melinda.

Livestock feed and fencing supplies from Country Farm & Home loaded on a truck for delivery to aid farmers in western NC. This shipment included five tons of livestock feed. Photo by Lucas Howerter.

Country Farm & Home has their own brand of locally grown and milled non-GMO feed. Many farmers rely on this and requested it and it was included in the shipment. Photo by Lucas Howerter.

A pallet of T-posts and other fencing supplies. Photo by Lucas Howerter.

This pallet contains enough step-in posts, polywire, and solar chargers to set up 20 farmers with temporary fencing for their livestock. It awaits distribution in an Avery County warehouse. Photo by Lucas Howerter.

Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply

Two other Pittsboro-based agribusinesses, Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply, are also doing amazing work in support of folks in western North Carolina.

Thanks to donations from customers and some of their feed suppliers, Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply have so far been able to send about $47,000 worth of livestock feed and other supplies and about $17,000 worth of pet food to western North Carolina.

Josh Miller owns Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply. “We are excited to give back to our community, especially our friends in western North Carolina,” said Miller. “It unites us, brings us joy, and empowers us to make a meaningful impact together.”

Josh has been working with Cooperative Extension and said that Chatham County Livestock Agent Dalton Suits has been very helpful because he is in touch with his colleagues in the western region and stays up-to-date on what the priority needs are and that helps Miller guide donations to the appropriate items that are most needed.

Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply are continuing to accept donations and would appreciate your support to help hurricane victims in western NC.

How You Can Help:

• If you want to donate online, place a Local Pickup order and use the discount code WNC-DONATE at checkout to save 10% to help stretch it a little further!
• You can donate your filled frequent buyer card (unused) and they will use it to donate feed
• You can buy any animal supplies or feed at the store and that will get delivered to western NC
• You can bring any unwanted feed or animal supplies as long as they are still within date (a Pittsboro Feed customer has generously donated his time and semi-truck to start taking items).

Both Pittsboro Feed & Pittsboro Pet Supply will serve as drop-off locations.

If you have any questions, please email Josh Miller or call him at 919-542-2454.

Donated feed and supplies from Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply being held at The Lamb’s Chapel in Burlington for delivery to western NC. Photo by Josh Miller.

Pittsboro Feed truck delivering feed and supplies to The Lamb’s Chapel in Burlington before distribution to western NC. Photo by Josh Miller.

Donated feed from Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply headed for western NC. Photo by Josh Miller.

Josh Miller, owner of Pittsboro Feed and Pittsboro Pet Supply, with some of the donated gloves and boots destined for western North Carolina. Photo provided by Josh Miller.

Resources:

Helene Disaster Ag Response (How You Can Help)

NC Disaster Information Center