When I was in fourth grade, my family and I were snowed into our farm for a week during the infamous South Dakota blizzard of 1997. This blizzard killed thousands of cattle, left many people stranded on highways, and brought South Dakotans closer together as they fought for survival. My family and I experienced many hardships as we struggled to save our cattle, our passion in life. Last year, I experienced a similar plight. South Dakotans were hit with an ice storm that left my family and I without electricity or heat for eleven days.
With the temperature remaining below zero, I am reminded of these winter blunders. Then Colorado cattlemen come to mind...
10,000 cattle have died since this ferocious blizzard hit Colorado over a month ago. Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp says some eastern Colorado ranchers still have not been able to get feed to their cattle, a month after the first wave of devastating winter storms hit. Stulp says the damage is expected to get worse with calving season under way. There also is a shortage of hay, with prices sometimes tripling. The Colorado Cattlemen's Association has set up an online clearinghouse where ranchers can connect with hay suppliers. The state is trying to get help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Agriculture. Many cattlemen have yet to reach their livestock.
My hopes and prayers reach out to the cattle and ranchers who have suffered a great deal in their fight to hold on to the industry that they love.
Cattlemen and women aren't in the beef industry for the money, the fame, or the glory. They do it because raising cattle is a passion that lies within each of us. There is a fire in our hearts that can't be distinguished despite the many obstacles we face. Hats off to the American rancher. To the Colorado cattlemen: you are in my prayers.
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