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Dairy farmers helping each other after snow damages barns

 

The Executive Director of the Dairy Business Association tells Brownfield the weekend blizzard has some farms looking for places to shelter their cows.  Tim Trotter tells Brownfield, “A lot of farmers have reported that there is some roofs that have been compromised, maybe haven’t collapsed, but I think farmers right now are really assessing their structures and, you know, for those that haven’t collapsed, I think everybody is really putting a watchful eye on the integrity of their roofs.”

Trotter tells Brownfield he’s aware of about ten farms with collapsed or structurally-compromised barn roofs in a 150 mile stretch of central and northeastern Wisconsin.

Trotter says he started receiving phone calls Sunday morning, as more than 30 inches of wet, heavy snow and freezing rain fell in some areas.   He tells Brownfield the impact on producers is still being assessed.  “From what I know, probably somewhere around seven or eight thousand cows are being moved, or heifers.  That’s anecdotally.  We don’t have a clear picture of everyone who’s been affected.”

Trotter says they’ve reached out to DBA members, and some are responding to help temporarily take on more cows.  “(People in) agriculture and dairy farmers are ones that look out for each other, and we’re seeing a lot of that during this storm.”

 

For information about finding or giving dairy herd shelter assistance, go to the Dairy Business Association website, or email Tim Trotter at ttrotter@widba.

Tim Trotter talks with Brownfield about the impact of snowstorms on dairy farmers.