Posted on 10/07/2013 6:29:58 PM PDT by Olog-hai
A record-breaking storm that dumped 4 feet of snow in parts of western South Dakota left ranchers dealing with heavy losses, in some cases perhaps up to half their herds, as they assess how many of their cattle died during the unseasonably early blizzard.
Meanwhile, utility companies were working to restore power to tens of thousands of people still without electricity Monday after the weekend storm that was part of a powerful weather system that also buried parts of Wyoming and Colorado with snow and produced destructive tornadoes in Nebraska and Iowa. At least four deaths were attributed to the weather, including a South Dakota man who collapsed while cleaning snow off his roof. …
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It suits me well. And the land has been in my family for over 100 years now. It really is a sacred trust to me.
Well, ya got me there. I THOUGHT there were some HUGE cotton and rice farms in California. There USED to be.
By the way the "central valley" extends HUNDREDS of miles north/south, all the way from the American-Mexican border to Sacramento, (120 miles of so north of San Francisco). That is one big valley.
My family are ranchers. It is in our blood. We live and die by it. My dad knew all of his cattle by sight (1000+). He knew every cow and calf pair. His horse stayed by him one day and saved his life when a blood clot hit his lungs. It is in the blood and until you know people who do it, you can’t understand that explanation.
And ranchers do not get the handouts that farmers get. Yes, we had insurance, but these kinds of losses, at this time of year, are devastating. Most likely, the herds are just about to ship to market, and cows were bred for the next year’s “crop”, so to speak.
Dude, Rapid City is now where near the state of SD. You folks are full of it.
Migratory if nothing were in there way...no fences...they don’t gather themselves up and neatly move, even if gates were left open few would find the gate- they would drift to a fence and stand there and freeze to death, the snow would pile up around them while they are moving trying to find a way out- making another type of fence to trap them. Cows are somewhat migratory in storms, but have no sense that their nature may be their worst enemy. Their nature would be to head away from the storm, when due to fences they would be smarter to hunker down here and there with whatever shelter they can find in the way of terrain. Instinct is hard to overcome. Even without all the fences there are today, sudden catastrophic snow storms have killed many cattle, huge losses during the late 1800s.
I have had experience with cattle in a catastrophic snow storm and if the rancher my dad worked for had not been large enough to have a large crew of cowboys, able to rent a helicopter (to spot all the odd groups of cattle trapped all over, and to drop hay from), had a Caterpillar to break trails to drive cattle to where they could be fed (and lucky enough the storm cleared enough to use it all soon enough to save most of the cattle) there would have been a huge death loss. As it was there was not enough workers, feed, or other supplies to do a great job, but most were saved.
No date stamp either.
Yes, so true. God has given us a HUGE land. We have always fed ourselves.
Right next to those farms are the CANNING factories.
Also, the Mexican braceros come north for the three months of picking, and live the OTHER nine months in Mexico on what they make in three months in gringolandia.
Americans won't pick berries or cotton for less that $10.00 per hour. I think that's the new minimum wage here in California. The braceros work for a LOT less. Everyone is happy. My retirement allows me to afford all that expensive food. Worth every penny!
True, the ones I knew were up near Lindsey, Visalia, and Porterville. Grapes, Oranges, and Olives. And none of them are huge compared to the plains states where the average farm is about 2000 acres.
What about Wooly Bear caterpillars predicts a cold,snowy winter? I squished more than usual mowing my lawn a week ago. Some years there are a bunch, some not. Sometimes you see black red black patterns, sometimes red black red, sometimes all black. Oh, and then there is those damn acorns...
Cattle could be seen in the ditch off Highway 34 east of Sturgis. It is estimated that hundreds, probably even thousands, of cattle died as a result of the early October blizzard.
Just because I found the image in a North Dakota newspaper doesn't mean it isn't of the right area. In case you needed more help, Sturgis was dead in the middle of the storm.
Fool, insulting these people. These people are the best of the best in America, hands down.
//Dude, Rapid City is now where near the state of SD. You folks are full of it.//
Now you are just being silly troll...
They’re having a special sale on “Frozen Beef” on the hoof.
Bring your tow truck and a winch. Enough food for a community BBQ at cut rates.
Damned that global warming!
You need to take a hike, loser. These are my people, don’t you dare insult them.
Well, you take the risks and some times all the animals die. YOU won't die though and will find the money and energy to do it ALL OVER AGAIN next year. Where DO you get your "seed" money? :o) Rhetorical, of course, it's none of my business.
No wonderful Wooly Bear Catepillars left in DC/No. Va. The illegals ate them all. Something about them looking like little Enchiladas.
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