Soule: Here's One Excellent Reason Not To Trust Rumors

Click here to learn who's harmed by rumors. Hint: It's not who you might think.

Losing one cow is devastating, and losing a herd to a disaster is a farmer's ultimate nightmare. I can hardly see the words I'm typing through the tears. As I searched the internet for information on relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, I was encouraged by the herculean effort that the federal government is making for the hurricane victims, including farmers.

I'm not surprised.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture was there for me during the 2020 pandemic, giving farmers like me funds to help feed our cattle and funding when my husband Bruce and I contracted COVID-19 and couldn't keep our store open. The USDA also helped me repair fences destroyed during a micro-burst thunderstorm in 2018.

Now, the USDA is assisting hurricane-stricken farmers by covering the expense of transporting water and feed to stranded livestock, providing funds to farmers whose cattle have died, helping remove downed trees, repairing destroyed roads, and fixing fences, just like they did for me. The Emergency Relief Program, which helped me during the pandemic, provides financial help for farmers harmed by natural disasters.

Hurray for the USDA!

Not so encouraging was the fountain of lies and rumors designed to make us lose faith in our federal government.

Spreading rumors doesn't help anyone. America is better than that.

Click here to learn who's harmed by rumors. Hint: It's not who you might think.

Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, eggs, and other local products. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com. Carole is also now a certified Life Coach who helps humans and K-9s achieve the impossible a little at a time.