Sidney Supports Flood Victims

The storm of about two weeks ago hit the Panhandle with an hours-long blizzard. The impact to central and eastern Nebraska continues to be more like the the Dutch Boy pulled his finger out of the dike, and local residents are doing what they can to help their flooded neighbors.

The latest of efforts to support flood victims in central and eastern Nebraska came in the form of farm supplies and a pallet or so of home needs.

Sidney Feed and Seed and Geiger's Construction teamed up to send hay, fencing, and numerous other necessary items. The effort started at the suggestion of Sidney Feed and Seed customers who voiced concern about their neighbors to the east.

"When the flood began, a few customers asked if we were doing anything," said Jessica Eddy of Sidney Feed and Seed.

She said the company promoted the idea through social media, and before long it caught on like a... wildfire.

"It blew up," Eddy said. "We had all kinds of monetary donations."

In addition to the monetary donations, families and other companies donated fencing, food, cleaning supplies and a long list of other necessary products. She said one family purchased a pallet of barbed wire. An employee purchased a pallet of all-stock feed produced at the company. Yet another family donated salt blocks and mineral blocks. Others donated dog and cat food. Others donated food and supplies for residents in the flooded area. Bomgaars donated more supplies for flood victims. Bomgaars and Radio Shack recently combined efforts for donations, sending supplies on a Bomgaars company truck. Pins and Needles of Potter designed a sticker decal with all of the proceeds going toward flood victims.

Eddy said a nearly-full pallet of cleaning supplies came from the Kimball community as well.

Sidney Feed and Seed also donated rolls of fencing.

In all, six pallets of grass hay, 2 ½ pallets of barbed wire, a pallet of horse fencing, a pallet of fencing supplies, three to four pallets of pet supplies, a pallet of cleaning supplies and a pallet of miscellaneous supplies for residents were loaded onto a Geiger Construction truck and delivered to the Aurora Co-op. The plan is to distribute supplies to farmers and ranchers in nearby communities from Gibbon northwest to Burwell.

One of the challenges for the flooded area is when fences break - one instance at least two miles of fence down - animals are harder to track; it is a no-brand zone. Consequently, the load includes ear tags.

"It is so close to home," Eddy said. "It is just heartbreaking."

She said loss of animals due to weather is something every farmer and rancher can relate to. The blizzard hit during calving season. The rain and snow followed by cold is a hard impact on new calves, according to Eddy. Statewide, it is estimated the agriculture industry has lost about one million cattle since the blizzard, she said.