News
Perdue sees derecho ground zero
U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue saw first-hand Thursday the wake of devastation caused by the derecho last month across central Iowa.
Secretary Perdue flew over some of the counties hit hardest by the derecho wind event and tells Brownfield USDA is looking at various ways of helping farmers with crop damage.
“A farmer has one company and one adjuster and another (farmer) has another, we’re trying to get more consistency between the adjustments so that farmers can be treated very similarly in similar situations.”
Central Iowa farmer and Iowa Soybean Association president Tim Bardole says his soybeans held up okay, but the derecho decimated his corn.
“I’ve got a 10 month-old grandson, and you could set him anywhere in the corn field and you could stand a quarter mile away and pick him out very easily. To be able to say that (during) the first part of September just gives you some idea of how flat it is.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds joined Secretary Perdue and thanked the Administration for its support.
“We will get through this. Iowans are resilient, we’re strong.”
Secretary Perdue will be in Nebraska Friday for a panel discussion on ag innovation that Brownfield will be covering.
