Alabama Team of 11-Assistance Trip, September 2006
From AACAAS
In September 2006 more than a year after Katrina, eleven men from the Alabama Agricultural Association of County Agents and Specialists (AAACAS) spent a few days in Hancock County, Mississippi repairing a barn, replacing windows, cutting and hauling trees, and building fences. It was during this trip that they realized recovery has been painfully slow and some cases, nonexistent. Ken Kelley coordinated the trip with Gwen Smith and Marcia Freeman, Special Assistant to the Coordinator to provide assistance to farmers in Hancock County. Gwen provided a list of projects that would be helpful to a few farmers. So much is needed to done; any improvement on their farms is greatly needed and appreciated.
The Alabama agricultural agents who made the trip were Chuck Browne, Derek Bryan, Tinsley Gregg, Shane Harris, Mike Henshaw, Rickey Hudson, Ken Kelley, Dan Porch, Lewis Tapley, Anthony Wiggins, and Stan Windham. While these agents were on official time, their trip was not funded by Alabama Extension. Meals and lodging at a camp were organized with the help of Gwen Smith, Marcia Freeman, and the families who they were helping. The AACAAS paid for a portion of their mileage and the men paid for the rest their own transportation to and from Mississippi. These volunteers demonstrated their hard working, unselfish, and caring manner as they provided construction and manual labor to these farmers.
The men arrived at the camp at 4:00 pm in Hancock County, near Kiln, MS. Camp supper consisted of red beans and rice. This camp, located 12 miles from the coast, and was flooded with 6 feet of water after Katrina. The facilities were rough, the men slept on bunk beds in storage buildings. The nice folks at the facility were thrilled to have the men there. Although there are signs of new construction, unbelievably, there is still so much devastation, even after a year. Only being in Mississippi a few hours, the men sense that many folks are putting on a brave front. Place a picture of the camp here.
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Norman Lehman
On the first day, Ken, Rickey, Anthony and Stan fixed fences all day for Norman Lehman. He kept saying this ought to be the last job. These four men kept working. Norman seemed surprised at what the men were able to accomplish during the day. The men were fed a huge Chinese meal. Of all the farm visits that these men have made, never have they been fed Chinese food on a farm. As it turns out, the Chinese man, Pan, was living in his truck after the storm. Norman gave him a trailer to live in. So Pan serves meals to Norman's help for free. The meal was plentiful.
The devastation and the amount of work that needs to be done is overwhelming. The fence was only one of many things on Norman's farm that needs repair. These Alabama men were able to make a small assistance to Norman. Before they left his farm, he hugged them. Obviously, he was very happy they came. Norman, like many others in the area, is going on with his life, although his home, property, and possessions have been destroyed or washed away. Even for the toughest who are putting on a brave front, spirits are broken. Life is not the same for Norman and the others in this area.
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bailey
Mr. and Mrs. Bailey's kennel is located about two miles off the coast and a mile from the Louisiana state line. Concrete slabs are the only thing left where most of his neighbors used to be. A boat that had float in on the storm is sitting about a block north of their house. Sam Bailey and his wife now live in a FEMA trailer. The house is boarded up and unlivable. In addition to the damage to their home, about 90% of the trees south of I-10 are dead, including those trees on Mr. Bailey's 10 acres. These trees were killed by the combination of salt water, wind and the 6 to 12 inches of mud deposited over the area. Sam has rescued forty dogs or so. Sam and his wife stayed in their two-story home during the storm. They pulled in a dog during the storm from a second story window; the water had risen to the second floor of their home.
Sam and his wife, the owners of a dog rescue kennel, needed some help. This job was definitely the most physically challenging of the trip. On the first day, Dan, Derek, Tap, and Sam worked till about 2:00 p.m., then they were joined by the roofing crew, Chuck, Shane, Mike, and Tinsley. On the second day, only Dan, Tap and Sam hauled the debris by themselves.
The men moved, hauled, and burned debris in order to make room for a fence for a dog run. They worked for two solid days. The mosquitoes were unimaginable! Like a horror movie, as soon as they walked in the woods, they were covered in mosquitoes. The mosquitoes bit through clothing so the men sprayed their clothes, as well as exposed skin. When the sun went down, the mosquitoes got worse. After two days of hauling debris and clearing a portion of the dog run, the men were glad that they were able to help. Sam appeared to be in a better frame of mind after these men left there. It seems that the work done moved he and his wife to little closer to having an acceptable kennel.
Morris Ladner
Morris Ladner, beef farmer, said his property had not flooded in the last 100 years as long as his family has owned this property. Katrina flooded this area with 6 feet of water. Chuck, Tinsley, and Shane were assigned to make repairs to a house. Gwen let these men know that they would be fixing windows on a house. The mother and the grown daughter were glad to see them arrive. The father, however, was more reluctant. He was surprised to find how much work the group accomplished. After watching the men throughout the day, he was very appreciative of the work.
Eugene Niolet
On the second day, a group worked for Eugene Niolet, a beef cattle producer near Kiln, Mississippi. Eugene is a stout man in his early sixties. His family traces its origins back to the first French settlers. In fact, Pass Christian is named for one of his ancestors. Eugene has diabetes, and like many diabetics, has neuropathy in his feet. About the time of the storm, he broke three bones in his foot. Complications from the neuropathy have made his recovery very slow and have hampered his ability to repair storm damage to his farm and home.
Derek, Mike, and Rickey helped him pick up debris that was scattered throughout the pasture. Since Eugene has had no way to save hay for the winter season, he needed access to these fields for haying or grazing. Eugene drove his pickup and trailer around the field, while Derek, Mike, and Rickey followed on foot and loaded it with debris. Most of the debris was tangled bits of wire from a rebuilt fence and tin that had blown into the field. The debris prevented him from using hay equipment in the field and from grazing the pasture with livestock. They picked up three 16 foot trailer loads of debris and hauled it to a nearby landfill.
Jason Shaw
Jason Shaw, a dairyman, sent his family to North Mississippi to his wife’s parents and he rode out the storm. Sam, big, happy, pleasant man, is humbled by the help he has been getting from others. Extended family members live all around him. They were calling him constantly on his Southern Linc. He said he has never seen anything like it. In fact, he is not sure he could take it again. Even with family and friends around him, he said that if another storm like Katrina hit Hancock County again, he’s "...not sure he could handle it". He is speaking mainly of being able to handle the aftermath--the whole ordeal of rebuilding and starting over. Coping with the emotions and energy required to rebuild the operations and life that he had already developed for his family is difficult. Agricultural folks have particularly hard because there is so much rebuilding and repairing that needs to be done.
Ken, Anthony, and Stan fixed fence all day. They were able to get more done than Jason thought they would. They actually were done about 3:00 pm. Then they helped him with some of his equipment and moved some of his stuff around. During an excellent lunch at his storm-damaged house, the men enjoyed conversations with Jason's family.
Gary Ladner
Gary Ladner's farm, located near Kiln, MS, approximately 15 miles from the coast is a small cow-calf operation with a nice rotational pasture management. Gary lost a well pump and 14 trees fell on fences. For two weeks, the cows were in shock and would not come to him. Debris--shingles, trees, insulation--was scattered throughout the pasture. Chuck, Mike, Shane, and Tinsley worked to re-roof and place siding on a barn. The agents were able to discuss small improvements and cow culling for better herd improvement.
Gary described Katrina as a trauma. Gary says he lacks of motivation and has trouble focusing on one project because there is simply too much to do. The team was able to complete roofing and siding the barn. Having this one task accomplished lightened the load for Gary.
