May 18, 2008 10:09 pm
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By Mike Surbrugg
msurbrugg@joplinglobe.com
Losses from the May 10 tornado and hail extend to many area farms, and include injured or killed livestock, downed fences, and damaged or lost equipment and crops.
Where the force of the tornado swept across fields, plants were quickly jerked from the soil, bringing the field down to dirt, said Dennis Elbrader, Kansas State University Extension agriculture agent at Columbus.
Hail caused damage to farm structures and vehicles, but crop fields in some cases might be salvageable. Elbrader said a good wheat crop is still possible.
A federal disaster designation is the initial need for bringing support to damaged farms, said Lynn Jenkins, district conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service at Neosho.
If that designation is made, local efforts will concentrate on filing preliminary reports to state offices, estimating the extent of damage to farms, Jenkins said.
Kim Webber, executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency in Neosho, is advising farmers to keep visual and written records to show the extent of damage on their farms.
The records should include any costs and labor needed to restore fences and do other projects.
Webber and Jenkins can be reached at (417) 451-1007.
County USDA officials say they have no idea as to what type and amount of help could be coming from Washington.
Most of the support could be for losses not covered by crop or other types of insurance, Jenkins speculated.
Jenkins was among those visiting the disaster area last week to get an idea of the magnitude of damage. Among the things he noted was up to 10 poultry houses damaged or destroyed in the Fairview area.
Poultry companies own the birds, and the contract growers own the buildings.
The storm destroyed some dairy milking parlors. Jenkins and others said dairy owners have been moving cows to dairies out of the storm path so they can be milked.
Several miles of farm fences are believed to have been destroyed. Some cattle could be missing, Jenkins said.
A state-approved brand is a certain way to determine who owns any cattle that are found. Other identification comes from ear tags or from chips inserted under the skin of animals.
The storm damaged some crop irrigation systems, including locations near Newtonia.
Glass, nails and metal have landed in pastures on farms in the tornado area and into counties to the north and east, said David Whitson, University of Missouri Extension specialist at Neosho.
These materials can puncture tires on tractors and other farm equipment, and are dangerous to grazing cattle. Cattle can appear to be fine immediately after such a storm and become sick in a few days.
“I have never seen anything like it,” Whitson said of damage caused by the storm.
He is advising cattle owners to keep a close watch on their animals. Seriously injured cattle can be salvaged for meat, and those that died can be incinerated or buried on the farm, he said.
Whitson can be reached at (417) 455-9500.
Mike Surbrugg is the farm editor for The Joplin Globe.
Mailing lists
Government officials are advising farmers who were in the path of the storm to make sure they are on county mailing lists for advisories of help that could be coming.
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