"Sow the Seeds" -relief for flooded farms

A few weeks ago we had a monster rain storm--17-19 inches in one day fell in the hill country to the south of the Twin Cities. They're calling it "a hundred year flood". Ironically, we had been in drought conditions for most of the summer. Floods is SE Minnesota and SW Wisconsin destroyed bridges, roads, dams, parts of towns and flooded many farms. People lost their homes, their businesses and saw their communities ripped apart. A few people lost their lives. The region has seen its economy crippled. In the aftermath, the state finally called a special session to vote for some flood relief, but even before that, the local co-op community stepped up with relief efforts for the farmers who are major suppliers of organic and sustainable farm products to our markets: produce, cheese, poultry. The name of the campaign is "Sow the Seeds." The stories some of the farmers have to tell are devastating.In collaboration with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), my co-op, the Wedge, has made it easy to contribute. I donated money when I paid for my groceries. Here's a video that shows the aftermath of the event for farmers and the food chain. Attina Diffley, who farms the Gardens of Eagen and blogs about farming and the politics of food, knows most of the people affected, and keeps us informed.