Derecho takes toll on Iowa livestock producers too


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Derecho takes toll on Iowa livestock producers too

Much of the focus when looking back at the impact of the August derecho has been on crops and grain storage facilities.

But Brian Waddingham with the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers says livestock producers in his state were hit hard too.

“We saw parts of cattle barns laying out in the field, we saw buildings collapsed around the cattle (and) around hogs. It just looked really bad.”

It’s been more than four months since the derecho brought hurricane-force winds across Iowa, yet Waddingham tells Brownfield the Coalition continues to get calls from farmers related to the storm.

“Still missing garage doors or end walls on buildings, or (those buildings) are now sitting empty until next spring when builders can come and reconstruct that hog barn or cattle barn. So it certainly has been a struggle.”

Waddingham says because it hit so close to harvest, a lot of farmers are just now taking inventory on the extent of damage caused by the derecho.

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