Summer storm wreaks havoc

BALTIC, S.D. — Driftwood Dairy farm was hit with devastatingly destructive winds in the early morning June 28. While multiple buildings were destroyed, employees were safe and just a few cows sustained minor injuries.

Driftwood Dairy milks approximately 5,000 Holstein-Jersey cross cows three times a day in a 106-stall DeLaval rotary parlor. Aaron Ramirez, farm manager, lives across the road from the dairy with his wife.

“I woke up at 4 a.m. to the sound of rain; I prayed and said, ‘Thank you, Lord. I hope we have some more,’” Ramirez said. “Then I went back to sleep.”

Just thirty minutes later, that prayer was answered in a way no dairy farmer wants. Ramirez awoke again to deafening winds and pounding rain as a powerful storm tore through their yard.

“Our house was shaking,” Ramirez said. “Then I started getting phone calls from our guys at the dairy.”

It was hard to hear them, but they were calling for help, he said. Though employees were in the parlor carrying out the morning milking, everyone made it to a safe location.

After the storm passed, Ramirez said getting to the dairy proved to be a challenge. Fallen trees and blocked roads from debris forced him to travel through the ditch to get to the farm.

“When I got there, it was a big mess,” Ramirez said.

Initially, Ramirez thought it was a tornado, but it may have been part of a derecho or microburst, with winds estimated to have reached 150 mph.

The roof over the parlor holding area was ripped away and blown hundreds of feet into the cross-ventilated barn’s sand room. Half of the dry cow barn ripped off the foundation, a newly constructed hay barn was torn from its concrete foundation and flipped over, and a large farm shop collapsed to the ground.

Despite the extensive damage, only one outcome mattered.

“We are glad no one was in the shop, and no one got hurt,” Ramirez said. “No cows died. Praise the Lord. We’re thankful that it wasn’t worse.”

While buildings were destroyed, the dairy’s commitment to its cows never stopped. Within 4-5 hours, milking had resumed. The only cattle that needed to be relocated were a group of dry cows that were safely moved into pens in the cross-ventilated barn.

“It was survival mode,” Ramirez said, “Now we’re going to get back to thrive mode.”

The recovery effort has extended well beyond the farm’s family and employees. Volunteers included Christian school groups, 4-H members and neighbors who answered the call to help. Industry partners also stepped forward, providing meals and refreshments for those working long hours.

“We had over 50 people there on the pile just recovering the corn silage and alfalfa haylage,” Ramirez said. “It was a mission to get all that back on, but we got it covered thanks to all the help.”

The cleanup is still ongoing. The storm scattered tarps, hundreds of sidewall tires and debris across the farm and into neighboring fields, with many tires ending up in the manure lagoon.

“It’s been encouraging to see how the Lord has blessed us,” Ramirez said. “One of the ways is through all the help that has come after this damage: everyone coming to help clean up, bring food and drinks, and pray for us.”

As cleanup continues and the rebuilding plans begin to take shape, Driftwood Dairy remains focused on gratitude rather than loss.

While the storm may have damaged buildings, it also revealed the resilience of the dairy farm and the faith and strength of a family operation. They are thankful for the unwavering support of a community determined to help its neighbors move from surviving back to thriving.

“We are clinging to the encouragement of Psalm 46,” Ramirez said. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”