https://steinbachonline.com/local/crops-destroyed-cattle-without-feed-farmers-pressing-on
(All aerial photo and video footage taken with the assistance of Mountain City Aviation).
Ongoing flooding in Piney and Stuartburn has become a living nightmare for farmers in the region.
“Not so long ago we were praying for rain, and now we have a little bit too much.” Ken Holme is a canola farmer in Sundown. Prior to this past weekend’s rainfall, he says the most recent rain event in Stuartburn took place on May 22, and even that was minimal. The rain, he notes, came at an opportune moment… but then it just kept coming. Over the past few days, he has watched in dismay as all 400 acres of his crop became totally submerged in water. He doubts any of it will be salvageable.
Randy Tkachyk, whose farm straddles the border of the two municipalities, is also starring at a lake where his farmyard used to be. He expects his crop too will be utterly destroyed.
“When we have a big rain event like this, we really get hit hard.”
https://youtu.be/QfqbZEwPQYI
Holme and Tkachyk are, by no means, alone in their suffering as it seems farmers all across the Sunrise Corner are telling the same story. Stuartburn Councillor Ed Penner has been keeping a close eye on how the agriculture of the region is being affected and says things are looking pretty bleak.
“Many grain producers that I know have pretty much written their crops right off,” he states. “And in the livestock industry, producers are scrambling to find feed for their cattle because the grass is totally inundated with water.”
Penner says several cow and pig farmers are worried that the swamped roadways throughout both RMs will prevent feed trucks from servicing their facilities. He notes some individuals are only days away from running out of feed, without the necessary roads intact, those animals may go hungry.
“I know one farmer is even contemplating selling out,” offers Penner. "We are trying to do our due diligence to keep our roads passable so the feed can get in.”
93 Homes Now Evacuated Due To Flooding Near Stuartburn
Floodwaters in the RM of Stuartburn may have finally plateaued.
Water levels in local rivers and low spots have been rising ever since an extreme rainfall event walloped the region this past weekend...
While the situation is admittedly grim, it is not hopeless.
“We will just have to have a different mindset,” says Tkachyk, “what can we look at growing in our high water table?”
Tkachyk and Holme both believe that reseeding remains a viable option. Tkachyk specifically, is confident something can still be made of the summer.
“We are early in the season and everything is growing. The plants are growing, the trees are growing, so they’re going to suck up the moisture. Right now we have long 16 hour days and when that sun comes out everything is going to dry.”
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Floodwaters in the RM of Stuartburn may have finally plateaued.
Water levels in local rivers and low spots have been rising ever since an extreme rainfall event walloped the region this past weekend...
While the situation is admittedly grim, it is not hopeless.
“We will just have to have a different mindset,” says Tkachyk, “what can we look at growing in our high water table?”
Tkachyk and Holme both believe that reseeding remains a viable option. Tkachyk specifically, is confident something can still be made of the summer.
“We are early in the season and everything is growing. The plants are growing, the trees are growing, so they’re going to suck up the moisture. Right now we have long 16 hour days and when that sun comes out everything is going to dry.”
Added by CiC The location I grew as a baby
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