Mother Nature’s Wrath Costing Area Farmers Millions Of Dollars

By Vic Bradshaw

Area agricultural losses caused by the harsh winter may top $5 million, according to estimates by area extension agents. The toll in Frederick County exceeds $4 million, said Bobby Clark, agricultural extension agent with the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The figure includes losses in Winchester.

Clark said this is the worst winter damage he can recall in 14 years in the region. The farm losses are about $800,000 in Clarke County, said Jacob Grove, the county’s animal science extension agent. The reports are submitted to local and state emergency management officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Frederick County leaders plan to ask Gov. Bob McDonnell to declare the county a disaster area so farmers can receive federal assistance.

County Administrator John R. Riley Jr. said a resolution requesting that designation will be presented Wednesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

The extension agents said the high damage estimates were driven primarily by additional feed costs for cattle and the expense of getting feed to herds. Farmers often had to remove snow over long distances in order to take feed to their cattle.

Because of the abundant snowfall this winter and the fact that it has lingered on the ground, the agents estimated that cow/calf farmers spent 33 percent more than normal for feed this winter.

“That’s a big, big number,” Clark said.

When the cost of snow removal to create pathways to the hay or herds is factored in, overall winter feeding costs are expected to jump 48 percent.

Grove said many farmers cited the amount of diesel fuel they used just trying to reach their herds. “If you burn through $500 in diesel fuel, that’s two cows you’re going to have to sell just to make up for it.”

The extra feed didn’t yield larger cattle, though. In fact, Clark said stocker and finishing cattle probably stopped gaining weight during the major snowstorms in December and February.

He estimated that the average animal will be 40 pounds lighter.

“You worked harder to get to them and fed them more,” Grove said, “and in the end they grew less. That’s never a good equation.”

Frederick County farmers suffered significant fence damage from snow plowed into the fence rows or trees falling on them, said Clark, who works from the Woodstock office but was responsible for the Frederick County report.

The problem wasn’t as prevalent in Clarke County, Grove said, though he wasn’t sure why.

Structure failures due to the weight of the snow or drifts also added to the economic losses in Frederick County.

Again, Grove said the problem wasn’t as bad in Clarke County — only an old small hay barn succumbed to the snow.

Livestock mortality increased due to the weather, particularly among small calves and sick or older animals. Clark estimated that the two big storms claimed an additional 800 head, but he said it could have been much worse.

“I’ve been surprised at how low the death loss is,” he said, “and that’s just a tribute to the farmers’ ability to roll up their sleeves and do what they needed to do to get their livestock fed.”

Orchards also suffered from the winter weather. Clark estimated that the Frederick County fall apple harvest will be down about 12 percent because deer foraging for food ate the buds of apple trees.

The extension agents said that while this is one of the worst winters for farmers, previous droughts and hurricanes have caused more economic losses.

Grove said local farmers are anxious for winter weather to break so they can cut their losses.

“They’re all kind of sitting and waiting for the grass to turn green,” he said. “The sooner it does that, the easier it will be to handle this one.”

Gail Miller, emergency management specialist for Frederick County, said she is trying to compile information on losses suffered by county farmers.

She said she would log the areas where losses occurred and use Geographic Information System technology to determine if repetitive loss patterns emerge.

If they do, county officials might be able to obtain funding for hazard mitigation efforts.