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 The rare winter tornado that cut a 13-mile path of destruction Jan. 7, leveling houses and derailing a freight train, spared dairy farmer Brenda Kastning and her family. But its 140-mph winds ripped apart their barn, which held 16 calves.
It turned out the calves were fine -- they had run off and were found unharmed
-- but the destroyed barn left Kastning with nowhere to put the part of the herd that lived in it.
A larger, second barn that survived the tornado had room for about 50 animals, but another 75 or more would get sick and die if they didn't have shelter by the time freezing temperatures returned.
Kastning's neighbors quickly brought over trailers and loaded up the cattle.
"They were on the phone to each other right away," Kastning said.
Three other dairy farmers volunteered to shelter many in the Kastnings' herd
-- no small commitment since some cows need to be milked and others are expected to calve between February and March.
"This isn't just bringing a casserole, although we've got dozens of casseroles in our freezer," Kastning said. "They've offered to help us for who-knows-how-many months."
Third-generation dairy farmer Brent Mueller is milking 16 of the Kastnings' cows, which meant first teaching them a different milking system. Mueller uses a milking parlor, in which the farmer stands in a recessed pit below the cows. The Kastnings' cows were accustomed to a stanchion barn, with farmer and cows on the same level.
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 "So far they've been adjusting very well," Mueller said.
Bob Donley, another third-generation dairy farmer, took in more than 50 dry cows and heifers.
"I had more than enough room for them," Donley said. Caring for the new animals adds about an hour to his already long day, and that's before calving. "Given the situation, you do what you got to do."
About half the animals are pregnant, and Donley must watch them carefully in case of complications.
Several county granges organized a work day to help the Kastnings clear debris. Volunteers will muck out calve pens, tear down a damaged corn crib and dismantle the mangled remains of outbuildings.
"That's kind of how everybody is around here," Mueller said. "If something goes bad, you don't want to face it alone. It's definitely good to have good neighbors."
[Associated
Press; By CARLA K. JOHNSON]
Copyright 2007 The Associated
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