Farm Rescue, a volunteer group that works to plant and harvest crops for injured, ill, or disaster-stricken farmers, has been expanding rapidly, reports the Associated Press.

“Farm Rescue started out just as an idea I had, and people encouraged me to grow the organization,” said Bill Gross, who lives in Seattle and owns a farm in North Dakota. “I was initially just going to do it myself as a Good Samaritan, and people told me that I should think bigger.”

Using his own money and vacation time as a pilot for UPS, in 2006 Mr. Gross created the organization that has since helped almost 60 farmers in the Upper Midwest. The group now has more than 100 corporate sponsors and 50 volunteers and an operating budge of more than $200,000.

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