My friends, Jeff and Nickole Young, have fallen on some extremely trying times. They are local pig farmers and supply pork to many people in our community!

Jeff and Nickole are incredibly giving people. They would, quite literally, give you the shirt off their back if it would help you. Jeff is a combat Veteran and Nickole is his primary care giver and head of their business, Young's Family Farm. I have known Jeff and Nickole for four years now and they have become family. Never have they said no when I needed help with our own pig operation, nor have they ever acted like we are competition. They have shared knowledge, medicines, time and training to our family, selflessly. They have taken my son under their wing and have helped us farrow our own sows as well as taught him to care and feed them properly.

In addition to helping my family, they have helped many others. They have taken in Veterans in need of a warm place to stay, and given others a place to live and a job. They currently have two Veterans living on their farm with no other place to go. Jeff helped another Veteran get dry, detoxed and supported him through treatment so he could turn his life around. Nickole currently supports another Veteran in Sheridan County who needs help with caring for an injury. Both Jeff and Nickole have opened their farm to that Veteran so he has a place to go for friends, fun and comradery. They donate pork to many causes and are always willing to help a friend in need.

I tell you all of this because they are the helpers and never ask for help. I am asking for help on their behalf. Their livelihood is at risk. Last summer, a wind storm tore a hole in their farrowing barn (where the sows have babies). They tried several different tricks to repair the barn, but fabric barns are damn near impossible to repair. They were able to use the barn throughout the warm months, even without the cover, but as fall and winter set in, the barn has become a liability.

Baby pigs require warm spaces (70 degrees) when they are born. They don't have a fat layer and are extremely vulnerable to the cold. The Youngs' barn has no way to block the wind and there is no way to have a space warm enough for the piglets. I have taken in a couple of their sows at my place, but I simply don't have the room for the volume of piglets they have coming. They need their barn repaired! They got a quote from a local company to repair the barn at $26,000. That will put up new walls and a roof. They also need to purchase straw for bedding (their stockpile has been depleted trying to keep the their older, growing piglets bedded deep to keep them warm) and more feed because they are currently feeding double what they normally do to keep their growing piglets warm and growing.

The Youngs' have lost many piglets this fall/winter. It has been devastating to witness and I am simply the neighbor. I cannot imagine being in their shoes. Their livelihood is at risk. I simply cannot sit back and not do anything so I am asking you to help my friends. Any amount is appreciated! Many hands make light work and the more you share, the better their chances. These people mean a great deal to me and I pray you can help us raise the roof for them, as they have done for many, many others.