Member of U.S. ag community helps Ukrainian refugees

May 25, 2022

Don Hutchens spent two weeks in Poland

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A member of the U.S. ag community recently returned from a trip to Europe where he saw firsthand how the conflict in Ukraine is affecting people in that country.

Don Hutchens, former executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board and a former director with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, spent two weeks volunteering in Poland with Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine, which provides housing for Ukrainians displaced because of the war.

Seeing and hearing the stories from Ukrainians seeking safety puts higher input costs in the U.S. into perspective, he said.

“How difficult it would be to have your grain silos bombed. Your export terminals blocked, your machinery stolen, your fields bombed or mined and then maybe having to get off of a tractor and go fight for your country," Hutchens told KETV.

Hutchens also documented his time in Poland on his Facebook page.

Don Hutchens (Facebook photo)

While in Poland, Hutchens made supply runs and delivered meals.

He also spent time with children at a hotel who are missing family members.

"Obviously they were missing their fathers or grandfathers or brothers, their uncles that were staying back in Ukraine to defend their country," he said.

And now Hutchens is asking his fellow producers to consider donating.

Though Ukraine is about 5,500 miles away from Nebraska, farmers between the two locations share that agricultural bond.

“They are farmers. They put their boots on very much like we do,” Hutchens said. “We are always there to help a neighbor in time of need.”

And a member of the Ukrainian ag community is visiting the U.S. to help raise money for his home country.

Roman Grynyshyn, who initiated World to Rebuild Rural Ukraine, a charity designed to help rural Ukrainian communities rebuild homes and ag production, has visited Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and other states.

“We are trying to replace what was ruthlessly damaged or stolen from the least protected stratum of rural society,” he told KFEQ.

Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.