Neighbors helping neighbors
October 4th, 2006
Many area residents have been credited for helping Blue Sky Dairy of Cleveland after its four barns were destroyed during the Aug. 24 tornado. Pictured above is what remains of one of the dairy barns. After the tornado, friends and neighbors moved 1,020 dairy cattle from the Cleveland facility to Five Star Dairy in Dryden Township and Sunrise Dairy in Sibley Township. –Submitted photo
Sibley County residents assisted a rural Cleveland dairy farm that was destroyed by a tornado Aug. 24.
More than 100 neighbors and business associates, an estimated two-thirds from Sibley County, helped Blue Sky Dairy of rural Cleveland move 1,020 dairy cattle after the tornado destroyed the dairy’s four barns.
The cattle were moved to Five Star Dairy in Dryden Township, along Highway 5 between Gaylord and Arlington, and Sunrise Dairy in Sibley Township. Blue Sky Dairy, Five Star Dairy, and Sunrise Dairy are all owned by Will Sampson, who also serves as the dairy’s manager, and other partners from the western United States who have relatives in Minnesota.
Above, Five Star Dairy’s new barn was completed just in time to house the dairy cattle from Cleveland. The dairy facilities are owned by Will Sampson. More pictures below.
Blake Battcher, an employee of Five Star Dairy, said that it was fortunate that the new barn at Five Star Dairy was nearly completed. The new barn holds 600, while Five Star Dairy is permitted for up to 1,400 dairy cattle.
“For two days people worked around the clock to finish the barn,” Battcher said. Dry cows that had been at Sunrise Dairy were moved to the Dave Battcher farm and another farm near Cleveland. By moving the dry cows, there was room to house the dairy cattle from Blue Sky Dairy, Battcher said.
Le Sueur/Blue Earth County Extension Educator Dave Pfarr estimates that overall Le Sueur County farmers hit by the storm suffered total losses of approximately $13.7 million. Blue Sky Dairy alone suffered an estimated $5 to $7 million in losses, which was included in that figure.
The most costly damage, $7 million of the $13.7 million, was done to structures such as storage buildings, machinery housing, bins, silos, and livestock housing. Another $2 million in damage was done to dwellings (homes) and service buildings (garages, pump houses, etc.).
–Submitted photo
