54 Nebraska Cattleman August 2023 Inside Track By Libby Schroeder NC Director of Communications Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund Providing Hope From damaging miles of fence to destroying crops and other valuable resources, many of Nebraska’s beef cattle producers have been impacted by the large uptick in wildfires. According to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 109 wildfires were reported to the State Watch Center in 2022 alone. While living at the mercy of Mother Nature is an all-toopresent reality for producers, one thing is for certain – her unruly seasons never defeat the unmatched strength of the cattle community. To help beef cattle producers affected by recent fires reported through the NEMA Watch Center, Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) Disaster Relief Fund leadership activated the disaster relief account and are accepting monetary donations until further notice. Since January 2022, the Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund has raised a total of $209,113. More than $167,000 was distributed to cattle producers to provide relief for the 2022 wildfires. More Than Just Money While it is easy to glaze over a listing of dollars and cents, the real impact of the disaster relief fund reaches far beyond dry ink on a check. One family who received support said, “An unplanned wildfire rocked our world. We lost the hay we had just laid in tree belts and fence lines. If it were not for the Nebraska Cattlemen along with community and other entities, we would be in a world of hurt. With the assistance we received, we were able to replace fence posts.” Wayne and Sheri Rodocker, and Thayne and Trish Rodocker of Rodocker Ranch also shared the ways the disaster relief fund helped their operation. The Rodocker family shared, “On Oct. 2, 2022, our ranch was affected by the Bovee Fire at Halsey. Burned in the fire was our pasture ground for the upcoming winter. We were either going to have to sell the majority of our cattle herd or find last-minute cornstalks. We were very fortunate to find cornstalks in the Aurora and Madrid areas. The cost of this was something that we weren’t prepared for. The dollars we received from the Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund were money raised by the Sandhills Fire Relief efforts here in our Sandhills communities. These dollars helped offset the price of cornstalks and allowed us to maintain our cattle herd. We would like to thank the Sandhills Fire Relief, the Nebraska Cattlemen and all who contributed to the fire relief efforts. We would also like to thank all the fire departments that responded to the Bovee Fire and helped bring it unNC DISASTER RELIEF FUND BY THE NUMBERS TOTAL RAISED SINCE JANUARY 2022 – $209,113.52 This total includes a $20,000 donation from the Rural Radio Network Association, a $50,000 donation from FCSAmerica and CoBank, as well as a $65,691.61 donation by the Sandhills community fundraiser. TOTAL DISTRIBUTED FOR 2022 WILDFIRES – $167,224.24 CONTINUED ON PAGE 56
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