Timber Unity In The News

I needed a day or so to process the events over the last couple of days – but wanted to share this very impactful and important experience with you. Scott and I volunteered to be part of the TimberUnity convoy directed by the leadership of Adam Lardy and Mike Pihl to drive donated hay down to Southern Oregon to the drought stricken ranchers to feed their cattle and livestock. Because we had the equipment to do so, we thought this would just be a day spent on a road trip. What we didn’t expect, was the true lesson in humanity! I am tearing up trying to find the words to describe what we saw. Day 1 started on Friday at the loading location in Jewel Or where a TimberUnity member DONATED my guess 25-30 ton of quality hay that was loaded on our trucks. Day 2 started at the 4:00AM deployment site for the NW volunteer haulers. Truck after truck arrived from all over the NW as far away as Tillamook full of hay, feed, and supplies. The convoy promptly left at 4:10AM with additional volunteers meeting us and gaining numbers down the I5 corridor. I don’t know the final count of volunteers, trucks, semis, trailers, or suppplies delivered, but I can say this has been one of the largest, most organized agricultural relief efforts I have been involved in. I didn’t get to take as many pictures as hoped, I was simply overwhelmed with the magnitude of this experience. But what made it become a lesson in humanity and no longer a road trip was seeing the ranchers and farmers lined up truck after truck with their families on Suty Rd waiting to receive the needed supplies to feed their cattle and stock. It hit me then, this wasn’t just hay to feed their animals, this was going to feed their FAMILIES! The drought and water access controversy along with historic wildfires is impacting generations of ranchers’ way of life. These proud hard working Oregonians are facing loosing EVERYTHING. There are some great videos posted on the TimberUnity Facebook page from this event that will humble anyone. Please take a moment to not only see this first hand but feel the pride everyone involved shared. You ask – why did you do this? Because we can, and it’s the right thing to do! Thank you to the leaders and all who made this event happen. #timberunity