The fall harvest looks pretty bleak across Jackson County, although fortunately there are pockets where rainfall appears to have hit in the right amounts and in a timely fashion.

For many, though, spring rainfall was abundant — too much so — and summer rainfall was sparse and not too timely. Some fields went unplanted (or unreplanted in many cases) as a result of the wet spring. Some farmers are hoping for a late frost for their late-planted and replanted fields. Only time will tell.

Once harvest finally gets underway this autumn, we’ll all hope for a good yield where crops were planted. A prayer for a safe harvest, as always, accompanies those hopes. Farming and ag-related businesses play a big economic role in the Jackson County economy and in giving to the nonprofit sector. We should all share concern.

The Community Foundation of Jackson County, along with our supporting organization, the Jackson County Education Coalition, was pleased to partner with Purdue Extension Jackson County and Premier Ag to open our doors at the Jackson County Learning Center for two programs focused on helping the farm sector manage this growing season and its outcomes.

Each harvest season, the Foundation makes a tool available to area farmers to help them support the community — the Giving a Gift of Grain program. We anticipate — and certainly understand — that giving through the program might drop this year as a result of the expected drop in yields across the county.

But we think it’s important to keep the program before the ag community and be prepared to accept gifts from those farmers who can make a gift of grain. Participating in the program is simple and can take place at participating elevators — Premier Ag in Cortland, Bundy Brothers at Medora, Rose Acre Farms at Cortland and Tampico Grain near Crothersville.

A farmer’s gift can benefit the area’s agricultural community through grants to programs such as 4-H funds, scholarship funds such as the Premier Companies/Bob Myers Scholarship and the Jackson County Veterinary Scholarship and the Fall Grant Cycle with gifts to unrestricted funds.

For information about the Giving a Gift of Grain program, or its companion program, Giving a Gift of Livestock, contact the Community Foundation of Jackson County at 812-523-4483, or send an email to [email protected]. We’ll be happy to work with you as you harvest your crops and sow the seeds to help us grow better tomorrows.

Just one more thing — let’s be careful out there as those combines, grain trucks and gravity-flow trailers make their way, often slowly, along area roads as farmers hustle to bring in their harvest. Safety’s a two-way street, and we all have a role to play.

Dan Davis is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Jackson County, 107 Community Drive, Seymour, IN 47274. For information about donating to the Foundation, call 812-523-4483 or send an email to president@cfjackson county.org.