Members of the farming community in Barron County are banding together to help fellow farmers and ranchers in need after ravaging wildfires destroyed hundreds of thousands of livestock and acres, in addition to thousands of miles of fencing, in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Kaitlin Hanson, Barron, Kurt Wohlk, Almena, and Brittany Olson, Dallas, are coordinating efforts to send two trucks with hay, fencing supplies and calf care supplies down to Ashland, Kan. on Monday, March 27. The Barron County Holstein Breeders are also assisting in fundraising efforts to cover the cost of the semis, which is approximately $3,600.
“If we can raise more than $3,600 we plan on going to Farm and Fleet or Menards and purchasing as much fencing equipment as we can to load on the trucks, and then filling the rest of the truck with hay,” Wohlk said. “Milk replacer and other calf supplies are also needed to raise the thousands of calves that have been orphaned by the fires.”
United Ag Cooperative in Almena has been established as the drop-off point for hay and fencing supplies from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, and Wohlk will leave for Kansas at about 3 a.m. on March 27.
If you are interested in donating hay, fencing supplies or milk replacer contact Wohlk at (715) 641-0382. Large square bales of good quality are preferred, and 20/20 milk replacer is also preferred.
Financial donations can be mailed to Sterling Bank, 311 N. Main Street, Rice Lake, Wis. 54868 and written out to Barron County Holstein Breeders with Great Plains Wildfire Relief Project written in the memo or on a note with the check, or dropped off at United Ag in Almena with Hanson.
