Hay list proposed to aid farmers affected by wildfires

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau estimates farmers and ranchers will suffer more than $600 million in damages because of the drought. The estimate includes fall-harvested crops, hay, forage and beef cattle. The loss of fall wheat pasture is estimated at $150 million alone.

The Farm Bureau is trying to put together a listing service that would bring together fire victims with local farmers and ranchers who can offer help.

"Our listing service will allow people impacted by the fires--who have lost their hay crop, lost their winter grazing, may have lost stables for their horses--to be able to get in contact with people with facilities, hay or grass on a temporary or long-term basis," said Scott Bulling, commodity director for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. "Hopefully, this will help some of the producers affected by the fires."

Bulling is no stranger to wildfire. He farms in the Orlando-Mulhall area and is a recent arson victim.

"We've lost some of our hay crop ... two different times in the last month," he said. "It was set on fire. We lost a couple hundred round bales of hay."

The bureau is modeling the listing service after a successful fall wheat pasture listing service begun last year, he said.

Experts said fires are an additional burden to agricultural producers.

"The biggest loss is simply loss of forage needed for cattle, horses and sheep," said David Williams, agriculture Extension agent with the Logan County Extension Office. "Pastures are burned up. There's not much for animals to eat and what's there is dry."

Jack Carson, spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture, said the department doesn't know how many cattle or livestock are displaced by the fires.

"Some of these folks are probably going to need to lease pasture all winter long, if that's the case this certainly might be a better deal for them," he said about the Farm Bureau's listing service.

Williams said the greatest impact for farmers and ranchers will come later as they try to find hay and deal with pastureland that might have trouble recovering from the fires.

The type of fire combined with the depth and timing of rainfall will mean the difference in adequate pasture next spring and producers having to buy hay or cut back on livestock.

Williams said a fire that moves quickly across a pasture will be less damaging than a slow burn. He said it appeared the fires raced quickly.