Farm Rescue, Horace, North Dakota, has appointed Shari Rogge-Fidler as its new executive director, bringing to the organization a rare combination of hands-on agricultural experience, executive leadership and a lifelong commitment to strengthening rural communities.
A fifth-generation farm owner and operator from Nebraska, Rogge-Fidler joins Farm Rescue after a distinguished career spanning production agriculture, agribusiness, food systems, finance and nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she served as president and CEO of Farm Foundation, where she helped advance conversations and solutions around the future of agriculture while building partnerships across the industry.
Shari Rogge-Fidler (Courtesy photo.)
For Rogge-Fidler, agriculture has never simply been a profession; it has been a defining part of her personal and professional journey.
Raised on a diversified family farm with livestock and crops, she understands firsthand the challenges farm families face when unexpected illness, injury, natural disasters or other hardships threaten their ability to continue operating. That understanding, combined with decades of leadership experience serving farmers across North America, makes her uniquely suited to lead Farm Rescue’s mission of keeping family farms and ranches productive during times of crisis.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with farmers in many different roles and in many different places, but what has always stood out to me is the resilience of farm families and the communities that support them,” Rogge-Fidler said. “Having grown up on a family farm, I understand how challenging unexpected setbacks can be. What drew me to Farm Rescue is the simple but powerful idea of people coming together to help one another when it matters most.”
Rogge-Fidler brings a unique blend of global business experience and deep agricultural roots. After beginning her career internationally, she returned to agriculture as an entrepreneur, consultant and executive, leading organizations focused on innovation, soil health and farm support across the United States and Canada. She has also served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, providing strategic leadership across the agriculture and conservation sectors.
“Shari brings strong leadership experience, a deep understanding of agriculture and a genuine passion for serving rural communities,” said Bill Gross, founder and president of Farm Rescue. “She understands the challenges facing farm and ranch families today and shares our commitment to helping them through difficult times. We are excited to welcome Shari to the Farm Rescue team and look forward to the leadership and perspective she will bring to our mission.”
As Farm Rescue looks to the future, Rogge-Fidler will focus on strengthening partnerships, expanding donor and sponsor support, and positioning the organization to meet the growing need for assistance across its service region.
Her leadership philosophy is grounded in persistence, adaptability, and lifelong learning, qualities she believes are essential not only for successful organizations, but also for the farm families Farm Rescue serves every day.
“My career has taken me around the world and across many parts of the agriculture industry, but farming has always been home,” Rogge-Fidler said. “As a fifth-generation farm owner, I know that agriculture is about much more than crops and livestock—it’s about families, communities, and a deep commitment that runs through your veins. That’s what makes Farm Rescue’s mission so meaningful, and I’m honored to be part of its future.”
Founded in 2005, Farm Rescue is a nonprofit organization that provides free planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling, and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families facing major illness, injury, natural disaster, or other unexpected hardships. Through the efforts of dedicated volunteers, donors, and industry partners, Farm Rescue has helped more than 1,300 families across its 11-state service region continue their operations during times of need.
For more information, visit farmrescue.org.
