For farmers Yohe knows, the aid covered only about 10 percent of their losses. Money from churches in other states also poured in to keep food on the table in some farm kitchens in the Selby area and to keep St. John Lutheran going. From October to June, a semi-load of food, gathered by churches in the Sioux Falls area, was distributed among about 40 struggling farm families from Bison to Hosmer. That's because of what's going on with continual low farm prices. Other denominations reported, too, that wealthier churches are helping those those in trouble.
Pastors are under stress, too.
And they're seeing more parishioners who are suicidal, depressed or abusing alcohol, added United Methodist editor Fisher. Church leaders expect ministers and their flocks to be involved in the farm struggle for a long time. We haven't even begun to see what's going to happen.