BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - State agriculture officials in the Northern Plains are starting the process of divvying up tons of hay donated from around the country to help drought-plagued ranchers in the region.
North Dakota's Agriculture Department, North Dakota State University and the Michigan-based nonprofit Ag Community Relief this month launched a program to accept hay donations for ranchers in the Dakotas and Montana.
Midnight Thursday was the deadline for applications. Nearly 1,400 ranchers from the three states applied for dozens of semi-loads of hay donated from around the U.S. It's being distributed through a lottery drawing.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says the response has been uplifting.
Goehring also says getting more hay donations to North Dakota might be difficult, with the nation's focus turning to helping hurricane-ravaged ranchers in Texas.
