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Feedlot sustains damage to feed mill
By Jennifer M. Latzke When Ron Carr drove through the gates of Golden Belt Feeders just north of St. John, Kan., late May 4, he expected to find a yard full of hurt cattle as well as the inevitable property damage. Afterall, Golden Belt Feeders was just one of many rural businesses hit by the tail end of the EF-5 tornado that made national headlines in Greensburg, just a few miles to the south. And, considering the damage it did to that little town, Carr was not hopeful to find anything standing. But, when Carr finally made it to the feedlot, he found his two night watchmen safe in the basement of the yard office, and all cattle safe and accounted for. He just wishes the same could be said for the feedlot's million-dollar grain leg and feed mill. It lay in a pile of twisted steel and wet grain. Ron Carr, chief executive officer of Golden Belt Feeders, said a structural engineer had yet to look at the damage to the feed mill, but his insurance agent was estimating the loss to be somewhere between $2.5 and 3.2 million. However, the consequences of a change in ration for the cattle on feed will be even more costly. "We'll continue to feed cattle here," Carr said. "We'll just feed dry rolled corn, and distillers grains from Abengoa." While the cattle continue to gain weight, a change in their rations will mean their average daily gains will be off slightly. The full extent of the damage caused by their change in feed won't be seen until they are harvested. Carr also said the feedlot would not reduce staffing. The tornado was weakening by the time it came through the St. John area, but not by much. Even though the feedlot experienced zero losses on cattle, Carr did say that several had cuts and minor abrasions from the metal and debris flying through the yard during the storm. "I live in Hutchinson and I started out as soon as I heard the news," Carr said. "I got here about 15 minutes after the storm and all the cattle were in their pens." In addition to the feed mill, most of the equipment left outside around the feedlot endured broken windows, from the change in pressure generated by the tornado. There is some flooding in the low-lying pens, Carr said. With more than 12 inches of rain falling in a two-day time frame, and the loss of 10 center pivots in the area that the feedlot uses to distribute lagoon water, the yard was bound to flood. Fortunately, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment understands the nature of the drainage issues and is working with Golden Belt to get the flooding controlled in a timely manner. Replacement center pivots have already been purchased and should be up and running within six weeks, Carr said. "They'll be here next week, but it will take six weeks to get them up and running because the crews are so busy everywhere else," he added. The feedlot was using generators for power until full electricity could be restored in the area. Carr said estimates were that they would have power by May 11. Golden Belt Feeders didn't get away entirely unscathed after the May 4 and 5 storms. The company owns a pasture just south of Greensburg that took a direct hit. Carr said they lost about 30 head of cattle to the storm, and another 50 head had to be euthanized due to their injuries. While Kiowa County was immediately listed as a disaster by federal officials, surrounding counties of Edwards, Pratt and Stafford were later added to the list. Carr said he'd talked with officials from FEMA who'd told him that once the surrounding counties were added to the disaster declaration list, funds could be available for recovery of the feedlot's facilities. All in all, Golden Belt Feeders could have had a lot more damage, and Carr credits his employees with responding coolly under the pressure of disaster recovery. "Our employees have really come through for us," he said. "It's been really stressful, but they've come through." And, while the company had an emergency plan in case of such a disaster, no one took it seriously before this recent tornado, Carr said. "I think, in the future, we'll communicate that emergency plan better," he said. Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.
3 5/21/07 Date: 5/15/07
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