Our family is grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support since Hurricane Helene last month. Offers have come from across the country in the form of fencing supplies, manpower, generators, monetary donations and more. We know that as a public-facing farm, we have a larger reach, so we have been able to share our story of devastation well beyond South Carolina … BUT we are just one of the MANY farms across the Southeast facing challenges resulting from the recent storms.
While it certainly hasn’t been easy, we are making progress everyday towards restoring our farm. We are getting the supplies and equipment we need, and we are blessed with the best crew and neighbors in the country. The financial losses from this event will be significant, not just this year, but in years to come – for us, and many other farms. Most of our income is provided from our two annual cattle sales (and supplemented from the pecans), so the very best way to support Yon Family Farms is to help our upcoming cattle sales and the holiday season at The Nut House & Country Market be a success.
If you are interested, we have put together a few specific ways that you can help:
CATTLE CUSTOMERS
HURRICANE HELENE & MILTON CREDITS
– Our success depends on the success of our bull customers. By our count via the FEMA website, there are at least 203 counties in SC, NC, GA, FL, TN and VA that were designated as disaster areas. Many of our bull customers live and work in these counties and are facing hardships on their farms, similar to us.
– To help support the ongoing success of our cattle customers, Yon Family Farms will be offering a $300 credit for each bull purchased by farms located in impacted counties.
– If you are a cattle farmer and purchase a bull and would like to use this credit, simply let us know at checkout following the Oct 26th sale at Yon Family Farms, or on the Yon bulls selling in the Kempfer Cattle Company Sale in FL on Nov. 7th.
– If you are a supporter of Yon Family Farms and would like to contribute to a fund to help make these credits possible, please email lydia@yonfamilyfarms.com for details as to how to contribute.
SALE DAY PICK UP
– If you are traveling to Ridge Spring for the female sale on Oct 25th and/or the bull sale on Oct 26th and planning to make a purchase, please consider bringing your trailer. Picking up your cattle on sale day, or scheduling a pickup in the following days, will allow our crew to continue working here at the farm, rebuilding fence and cleaning up debris. Customers can deduct $100 for each bull picked up on sale day this Fall. Please plan to pick up your female purchases if possible.
– That being said, we will certainly help make arrangements to get your animals to you, as always. If you need delivery, don’t be discouraged from bidding – we have reliable trucking to help us with deliveries!
FRIENDS OF YON FAMILY FARMS
THE NUT HOUSE & COUNTRY MARKET
– Our pecan orchards took a devastating hit, and our pecan crop this year will be minimal. We will continue to offer our homemade pecan candy and many other SC grown goodies in our shop. When it comes time to shop for Christmas gifts, we hope you consider buying a pecan gift tin for your friends and family. We will be happy to ship to all 50 states and take care of the gift wrap for you!
PLANT A TREE
– The orchards on Pecan Grove Road have been a Ridge Spring landmark for over 100 years. Our family intends to replant the damaged orchards and are offering the opportunity to sponsor a tree as we rebuild. Please visit https://nuthouseandcountrymarket.com/pro…/pecans-cracking/ for more information.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Kevin, Drake, and Corbin all serve on the Ridge Spring Fire Department and worked tirelessly alongside other volunteers to keep our community safe during the storm, clearing roads of downed trees, assisting EMS, and helping homeowners with trees on their homes. After the sun came out again, our Fire Department supported efforts to feed residents twice per day until power was restored. We have seen in our small town how important having a robust volunteer workforce is, both for “active” firefighting jobs, and auxiliary roles. Please consider paying forward these efforts by supporting the Ridge Spring Volunteer Fire Dept or the local volunteer fire department in your area.
We are all in this together! Let’s continue to help and encourage each other whenever hardships, weather-related, or otherwise arise. That is one of the beautiful things about being part of the agriculture community!
