Dairies in Tulare and Kings counties still struggling with damage in wake of last year’s flooding
When flood water swamped dairies in Tulare and Kings counties last spring, it destroyed equipment, drowned crops and left a trail of salt-laden muck that farmers are still grappling with. The ongoing damage is so bad, some dairies may never recover. The biggest problem is the loss of crops and cropland. Farmers lost an entire year’s worth of wheat, used for feed, that was submerged as the Tule River and other creeks swelled and water gushed over thousands of acres. That lost crops and cropland, led to a chain of other problems, said Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies. The price of wheat skyrocketed, but one of the bigger challenges was where to put all the cow manure.