# The Blizzard



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

It was a year ago when a early autumn blizzard caused catastrophic deaths in the beef industry in South Dakota. I sure hope those good folks have a mild winter this year. Here's a little about where those folks are at.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/resilience_aid_keep_ranchers_afloat_after_storm_NAA_Associated_Press/


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I will always remember the sickening feeling that came over me when I heard about the blizzard and the losses.

There is something about raising animals, being right there to care for them, to deal with new life and protect and provide for them. I know there had to be a helpless feeling knowing your cattle were out there dying and there was nothing you could do other than hope and pray.

It bothers me if I lose one. A person has to be made of some strong material to suffer the losses those ranchers experienced and lace your boot straps back up in the morning and forge ahead.

That is the mentality that built this country and made it great.


----------



## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Thats the reason you carry insurance on your livestock. Our last bad storm was Dec. 06 we had 21'' to 38'' of wet blowing snow , winds up to 65mph for about 2.5 days. It was cool watching them drop round bales out the back of a twin rotor copter . I was out of electricity for exactly 2weeks. Nature can be rough .


----------



## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Electricity is a tenuous thing here too, being at the end of thr line on a country road. Couple times in the winter, last winter we lost power for extended periods. Our standby genset is a godsend.

Without juice there is no water, no lights, no heat except the woodstove and usually we get snowed in. Feeding the stock is an exercise in FWA tractoring.

We have no NG either so I run 3-500 gallon propane tanks for the house and barns and genny.

You can tell I'm not overly fond of winter in general. The older I get, the more inviting city life looks.


----------



## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Being without power company electricitgy is no fun- we also are at the end of a power line. We partially solved the lack of water issue with a power outage by installing a solar-powered pump in an old, uncapped well to provide livestock water to troughs. This pump can also be powered by a portable generator. Now we have access to water when our company-supplied electricity is off; however we have to use containers and transport the water to the house. Guess there must be a way to connect a generator to our residential well pump, but we haven't investigated this.


----------



## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

We were without power from Friday evening to Sunday morning. The power was flickering in the afternoon so I had the alternated ready to go though. Friday I fed the cows and fall calves amoung a patch of Russian olives and cottonwoods near the corrals. Saturday there was so much heavy wet snow I could hardly get around but I managed to set bales near them so they could eat I could only see about half of them because the snow was so deep and everything were under thent over tree limbs. In the afternoon I began to hear rumers of all the death loses around here. The weather was clearing so I went back and checked my own cattle better. Sunday power was back and the snow was melting. My cattle came out of the trees without death loss but one saddle horse must have been struck by a tree limb and injured she is still having problems I thank God for watching over us!!!


----------



## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

We were without power from Friday evening to Sunday morning. The power was flickering in the afternoon so I had the alternated ready to go though. Friday I fed the cows and fall calves amoung a patch of Russian olives and cottonwoods near the corrals. Saturday there was so much heavy wet snow I could hardly get around but I managed to set bales near them so they could eat I could only see about half of them because the snow was so deep and everything were under thent over tree limbs. In the afternoon I began to hear rumers of all the death loses around here. The weather was clearing so I went back and checked my own cattle better. Sunday power was back and the snow was melting. My cattle came out of the trees without death loss but one saddle horse must have been struck by a tree limb and injured she is still having problems I thank God for watching over us!!!


----------



## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Waterway64, thankful you made it through. Hope your horse will get over her problems. Are you having 'normal' weather there this year?

Shelia


----------



## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

Its been a wet cool year this year but we are having a beautiful fall. Thank you for asking. Mel


----------

