Lauderdale County Junior Cattlemens Association sponsors a Cows for Dakota relief effort to help fellow ranchers and cattlemen in South Dakota.........Here are some photos of of the aftermath of winter storm Atlas that ravaged western South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming the weekend of Oct. 4. The system dumped 2 in. of rain on Thursday, before switching to snow and dumping 19 in. of snow on Friday alone. Total accumulations for the area were near or over 23 in. of snow on top of the rain, with reported wind gusts in the upper 80-mph range. Between 80,000 and 100,000 head of cattle are reported dead, along with numbers of sheep and horses. Barns collapsed and fences are down. Some examples of losses include: one rancher reported 347 out of his 400 calves dead, one could only find 23 head of 900, one reported over 70 cows and over 100 calves dead, one family lost 80 head and all were mortgaged. Some ranchers have lost 75% to 100% of their herds. Some were college students who were pasturing a few cows along with their parents herds to help pay for college expenses and they lost their cattle, too. Years and generations of genetics in some herds have been lost. Very little has been reported about this blizzard in the national media. I have been talking with various people from South Dakota the last few weeks about this tragedy. I have talked with the Silvia Christen, Executive Director of the South Dakota Livestock Growers Association, Heather Maude (a rancher/farmer from Scenic, South Dakota), her mother-in-law, Jackie Maude (also a rancher from South Dakota) and Tacy Langemeier (4-H Agent of South Dakota State University and from the blizzard affected county of Meade in South Dakota) and all have reported on the devastation and also the emotional toil this has taken on the ranchers and cattlemen of South Dakota. All cattlemen know they have cows in their herds with stories behind them....the cow we raised from a bottle calf, the cow our dad or mom gave us, the cows that are descended from our foundation cow, the cow that is descended from our 4-H show heifer, etc. Many South Dakota ranchers lost those precious stories and the years of work and building that went into them. Cattle farming isnt just a business, it is a way of life that becomes intertwined with all other parts of the rancher/farmers way of life. You live it everyday and it goes out to touch all members of your family. Often, even family members who no longer live on the farm still come home to help at haying time or for working cows or for marketing calves. Farm kids are raised to know that the familys first physical priority is to take care of the herd and that often, it takes all the family members to do this. A movement is underway to help replenish the herds of South Dakota by sending replacement heifers and female cows to the ranchers in the affected areas. I praise the Alabama Cattlemens Association for being quick and among the very first of the state organizations to send relief to South Dakota in the form of $5000. The Lauderdale County Cattlemens Association members, on Nov. 7, participated in a video conference call with South Dakota rancher Heather Maude. She related her familys experience with the blizzard. She said, When we were digging dead cows out of the snowbanks to identify who owned them, we would come across a cow and check its ear tag for ownership. When we found one that was not ours, there would be a quick feeling of relief, but that was followed by an immediate sick feeling in knowing that one of our neighbors had suffered this loss. Among the cattle that her family lost was the last heifer calf that her 4-H heifer had raised her. She said the blizzard affected an area that was about 250 miles from north to south, and that it tipped into Wyoming and Nebraska as well. The Lauderdale Junior Cattlemen are raising funds to purchase some replacement heifers to take to South Dakota and deliver them in person to an affected rancher or ranchers. All the people that I have talked to in South Dakota feel like a visit from Alabama youth cattlemen would be very therapeutical and emotionally uplifting to South Dakota ranchers. Our youth would also like to stay a few days and help with the fence repairs, etc. Tacy Langemeier reported to me that when she told her office staff about this offer that mouths dropped open because their has been a lot offered and collectef for relief funds but no one has offered to physically come and help with the aftermath. I think this could be the biggest thing our Junior Cattlemens Association has ever done. This could build relationships and friendships for many years. This is a terrific way for Lauderdale County youth to get engaged in the beef industry, to accomplish a project that has a sense of purpose, and to engage in a great faith building venture. At the recent annual banquet of the Lauderdale County Cattlemens Association, a donation was taken up and Lauderdale Cattlemen (being the super men and women of southern hospitality they are, donated $1730 to the effort and one of our cattlmen said he would give a heifer to go to South Dakota, for us to just come pick one out of his herd -- incredible! Cattlemen and cattlewomen are truly great and generous and kindhearted people! The Lauderdale County Jr. Cattlemen plan to raise funds by hosting ribeye steak sandwich sales over the next few months. Our first supper will be at Lexington High School on Dec. 5. We will charge $10 per ticket for a dinner of ribeye steak sandwich, chips, drink, and dessert. We will also be selling t-shirts that depict our Cows for Dakota theme. If anyone is interested in buying tickets or t-shirts please contact us. Also if you would like to donate a heifer or any female cow up to 7 years old as a replacement cow, you may do so. Or if you would like to donate to this effort we would be glad for you to do so. You may contact me at 256-762-3518, or if you wish to donate you may mail to Lauderdale County Junior Cattlemens Association at 440 Smithwood Trail, Killen, AL 35645.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 18:43:54 +0000
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