Ohio farms are known for their resilience, which also holds true for The Ohio State University (OSU) Molly Caren Agricultural Center, home to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) annual Farm Science Review (FSR), after it was damaged by an EF2 tornado in the early morning hours of Feb. 28.
The aftermath of the storm left 46 of the 62 buildings on the grounds damaged or destroyed. This included 13 university-owned buildings and 33 privately-owned buildings.
Like other local farmers impacted by the storm, the focus of the FSR and CFAES teams has been on recovery and rebuilding to ensure the show will continue as scheduled. “We are fully committed to hosting this year’s show and coming back stronger than ever, which is in our nature as a farmer-focused facility and event. This is real life for farmers, and we’re right here experiencing it, too,” said Nick Zachrich, FSR manager.
Aaron Wilson, CFAES assistant professor and Ohio’s state climatologist, surveyed the damage at Molly Caren Ag Center.
“The reports indicate the path was over 21 miles long and 500 yards wide,” said Wilson. “Of course, damage along the path and across its width varies based on whether a structure takes a direct hit or not, building materials, or whether debris and other projectiles hit neighboring buildings. All of these variations in damage were present at Molly Caren Ag Center.”
Local Farmers in the Path Maintain Positivity
Before hitting Madison County, the tornado ravaged South Charleston, Ohio, known for its vast farmland. Charlie Troxell, of Troxell Family Farms and a frequent FSR attendee who farms 1,800 acres with his father, Tom, and brother, Jeffrey, lost multiple buildings. Despite this setback, the Troxells remain optimistic.
“We were fortunate. We lost the two oldest barns on the property; our original shop, which was built in the 70s and not in great repair, and the concrete containment facility,” said Charlie Troxell. “The lucky part is that we didn’t really have anything spring-related in the shop; however, the corn head was in there and damaged.”
The Troxells have spent days since the tornado surveying damage, working on insurance claims, and taking inventory of the equipment, products and supplies that are salvageable, while focusing on the silver lining.
“We always thought it would be nice to have one big barn and one big complex for conveniences, but this made us realize that having things spread out made a difference,” he said. “Our quality-built barns withstood the storm.”
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Categories: Ohio, Crops, Corn