USDA to Help South Dakota Cattle Ranchers Recover from Deadly Blizzard

Oct 23, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will provide assistance to South Dakota cattle producers to clean up following an unseasonal snow blizzard which killed thousands of livestock. Assistance will include help to dispose livestock carcasses, mend destroyed fencing and rebuild shelters that were damaged.

An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 cattle died in the snow storm. The agency has agreed to work with South Dakota officials to share the cost of providing assistance services. Some of the cost would include deploying state officials who can work with producers to conduct impact assessments and properly dispose of livestock carcasses.

Cattle producers have until Nov. 15 to sign up for assistance, which is being administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Services Environmental Quality Incentives Program. In addition to requesting assistance, ranchers are also asked to submit forms documenting their losses. Agricultural advocates hope that declared livestock losses will push lawmakers to pass a Farm Bill quickly, which would allow for the livestock disaster assistance programs to kick in.

Video: Spring Planting Prep Just Got Serious… We NEED This!

Getting closer to planting season means one thing… it’s time to get EVERYTHING ready.

Today didn’t go exactly as planned—we thought we’d be hauling potatoes again, but instead we spent the day digging equipment out of the cellar, hooking up the grain drill, and getting tractors ready to roll. With wheat planting just around the corner, every piece of equipment matters.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a normal day without a few problems… dead batteries, hydraulic issues, and a truck tire that absolutely refused to cooperate. We tried everything—jump packs, bead bazooka, ratchet straps… and eventually had to bring out the “big guns” just to get things moving again.

But that’s farm life—adapt, fix, and keep moving forward.

We’re getting close to go-time. Wheat seed is coming soon, and planting season is right around the corner