Maryland Farmer Can't Stop Helping Hurricane Victims in North Carolina
By Valerie Connelly, VP Government Affairs and Public Relations
Stevie Stevenson, a farmer, trucker and Cooperative member from Fruitland, Maryland, loaded his truck with donated hay to make a run down to North Carolina right after Hurricane Helene devastated the lands around Asheville last September. His intent was to provide immediate relief for the farmers who lost everything but still needed to feed their livestock.
He traveled around Asheville to a town called Burnsville, where he unloaded his truck at a local farm market. He was blown away by the amount of destruction the flooding caused to local businesses and nearby lands. He learned there is no way farmers were going to recover their crops this season and they have hundreds of cows and horses that need to be fed. Stevenson began organizing a second run almost immediately.
Now, five runs later, Stevenson says he can’t stop helping. His heart breaks when he hears that horse owners have been coming to the Burnsville farm market daily to see if any more feed has been delivered. They have no other local option.
Choptank Electric Cooperative recently presented a check for $1,500, and several Board members donated funds as well to help cover the next trip. “We are committed to serving the community,” explains Mike Malandro, President and CEO. “When we have the opportunity to help with a grassroots effort like the one started by our member, Mr. Stevenson, we jump in.”
Stevenson and his wife Sherry have expressed a huge amount of gratitude to local farmers who continue to donate hay they could otherwise use on their farms or sell into the market. The Stevensons are also thankful for the monetary donations that help pay the costs associated with making the Maryland to North Carolina run.
“I can do the trip for about $2,000,” explains Stevenson. “That covers the fuel, the tolls and the wear and tear on the truck.” If he was pricing out a commercial freight haul, the price would be much higher, but he is donating his time and kicking in some of his income with each trip.
The generosity of families on the lower-shore is remarkable. By mid-November, Stevenson loaded up two trucks for a run that included hay, animal feed, clothing, and other items important to farmers in North Carolina as they prepare for the coming winter.
“I am impressed with how many members of Choptank Electric Cooperative have offered crops and funds for this livestock relief effort,” says Jeff Rathell, a Choptank Board member and long-time friend to Stevie Stevenson. “I’ve always known the cooperative community to be big-hearted, and I am tremendously proud of everyone who has stepped up to help our neighbors in North Carolina.”
With colder temperatures on the way, Stevenson is working double time to get trucks loaded and get supplies where they are needed.
“The thing I want to share the most with people is how much devastation still exists,” said Stevenson. “A lot of folks think that because it’s not on the news every day, the problems have been resolved—but that is not what I see when I go down there.”
Stevenson worries that livestock owners are going to have to sell their animals or, even worse, watch them suffer without food through the winter. That’s why he continues to reload his truck and travel the 530 miles to Burnsville as often as possible.
Members who want to hear more about Stevenson’s effort can contact him at 443-614-2670. Other contacts are North Carolina’s State Hay Coordinator Adam at 336-318-6000 or David Davis of the Burnsville Farm Market at 859-556-3121.