Ukrainian Farmers Need Support

Aug 16, 2023

Farmers in the Ukraine are seeking help for their planting season.

By Haley Bilokraly
Farms.com Intern

It has been a difficult planting season for North American wheat farmers, with drought or crazy weather causing damage, but as you are bringing in your wheat harvest this planting season, think about how hard it would be for a farmer in time of war.

Regardless of the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, farmers in the Ukraine are trying their best to continue their hard work to feed those in their country and around the world.

It is crucial that Ukrainian farmers keep up their work because agriculture is the top sector for Ukraine’s economy, accounting for approximately 20% of their total GDP.

Many parts of the world also rely on Ukrainian crops to feed their population.

However, the war has had a devastating impact on farmers, and many are worried they won’t have the funds needed for the next planting season. Specifically, Ukrainian farmers cannot afford seeds, medicines for their dairy cattle, and the cost of demining their land.

SaveUA is an organization that has was created by the Ukrainian Agri Council, Association of Milk Producers, Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeds, to support farmers with these costs. The goal is to raise funds that will support agriculture producers in de-occupied territories including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.

So far, SaveUA has been able to donate 2,106 kg of seeds, 26 generators, 5 fuel storage tanks, 22 tons of heating briquettes, 28 Starlink terminals, and 4,000 tons of agricultural hoses. However, farmers are still in need.

If you are interested in learning more or donating to the Ukrainian farmers, visit https://saveua.in.ua/en/savefarms.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.