Over the past week the windows of a local farmer's tractor were shot out and several other acts of vandalism were perpetrated on his haying equipment. Another has lost a baler to thieves, there may be a hay rake missing, and who knows what else.
There are rewards being offered to try to catch whoever is doing this, but it is going to be hard to get them I fear.
I didn't write about it at the time, but our chopper and a couple of other pieces of equipment were shot early this spring, and of course you know we have been hit by thieves several times.
Hopefully whoever is doing this will be caught promptly. All people need is to not be able to safely leave their equipment in the fields overnight. If you see anything that looks wrong, please call the police!
Then there was the horrific fire that took out the entire dairy barn of some well-liked folks we know in the Amsterdam area. The Koronas are some of the nicest folks you could meet, always a fixture at the fair, and at Farm Bureau affairs for as long as I can remember.
The fire broke out while they were milking their cows and utterly devastated their buildings. They asked for help to get the cows moved somewhere where they could be cared for and milked.
It was heart warming to see the caravan of trailers that showed up to move cows to a neighbor's barn during the fire. In fact, as soon as we read the news on Facebook on my phone up at camp, the kids and my brother, who camps next to us, ran home and grabbed two trailers and some cow halters, and headed to their farm to do what they could.
However, the number of people with trucks and trailers that showed up to help was so great that by the time they got there all the cows had already been moved. I hope you can see that video at the link to get an idea of the number of vehicles and people that participated.
Makes you grateful to be a part of this rural community.
Here is a pic of a poor kitty looking for solace in the wreckage of her home. And here is a place where you can donate to the rebuilding fund if you so wish.
Our hearts go out to the Kornonas for their awful loss and to our neighbors dealing with outlawry right here in the Town of Glen. Farming is never an easy job......
Update: Here is a request from another friend closer to the situation than we are,
"Marianne, can you pass the word that they need all the little stuff like halters, towels,
brushes, buckets, bottles, meds and so on. All the stuff we all take for granted because
it's all laying around our milk houses. Thanks!"
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10 comments:
As I read this it brought tears to my eyes, I know a farmer loves his cattle, expecially a dairy farmer that handles them every day. My heart aches for this family and the cows that must have been so confussed and scared. I am glad they had insurance but the time it takes to process these things can be so long, hope this goes smooth for them. The new barn can be built to just what they want, how old was the barn that burned? Let these people know that prayers will be said for them from as far a Florida. Thank you for the good reporting you do and usually good news you blog. Now just hug M. Peggy and be thankful no one was hurt in this fire.
What ellie k said. How awful.
It is so sad that some one has to take from others that depend on their equipment to make a living and to survive in this world! It sure was sad to hear about the barn but is was so wonderful to see people drop things to go and help someone in need at a drop of a hat!
Rev. Paul, do you mean what I said was awful or the situation. I would never say something in a way that would hurt people. I am sorry is you read me the wrong way.
Ellie, we felt terrible too. They are good people. And what Rev. Paul meant was that he echoed your sentiments. You said it very well.
Lisa, it never ceases to amaze me how willing rural people are to reach out and help one another. Matt didn't even know them, yet he left his vacation to try to go help. Good folks!
Ellie, Rev. Paul is a really nice guy and I am positive that he wanted to echo what you said.
Thank you, I felt so bad thinking someone miss read my sentiments, I grew up on a dairy farm and know how much a thing like this can hurt. One of our neighbors lost his barn, cows and two little boys that they could not get too. This was a number of years ago and I still had chills run down my arms as I type this. I am sorry Rev. Paul, I should have known better, forgive me.
It's good to hear the heart-warming story embedded in the accounts of scary sad happenings.
Life is sometimes . . . so danged hard.
Ellie, oh, what a horror to lose children that way...or to lose them any way... As challenging as things have been for farmers around here in recent weeks, even during the tornadoes, the Lord was kind and spared the people. You can rebuild for sure, but you can't replace your family.
Cathy, I admit to tears when I heard, up at camp, how many people had stepped up with trailers and trucks. What an amazing outpouring of goodness!
Golly! I can't imagine the nasty souls that are doing this! Horrible!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Linda, I really hope they catch them! This changes the game plan so much during hay season. We already lock our road gates, but it hard to do anything about the back fields.
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