Eastern farmers help western ranchers with hay for cattle

by Mary Le Arneal
Published 4/1/26

When the wild fires in western and central Nebraska started March 19, the devastation that they would bring brought back memories of the 2019 flood that drew assistance sent by Nebraskans far and near.

Now, with the fires destroying homes and the livelihood of other Nebraskans, people once again are going out of their way to help. Places to donate money were organized, some of them mentioned in last week’s Eagle.

Allan Dloughy of North Bend, in red jacket, was part of a group of famers who hauled hay to ranches in western Nebraska whose grazing land was destroyed by wildfire.

Allan Dlouhy of North Bend heard about the need for trucks to take hay out to the ranchers and he volunteered.

On March 21, Dlouhy and Zach Koch, Scott Hellbusch, Jim Donoghue, Dan Wietfeld, Waylan Dicke, Jeff Fadschild, Brandon Groiteluschen, Colyn Dlouhy and Lane Kudera from the Leigh, Clarkson, Creston and Columbus areas had their trucks loaded and headed west. Dlouhy has a farm in Clarkson area.

As they got further west where grass that formerly held the sand in place was burned away, the view they saw from their window looked like a desert.

“It’s just blowing sand, there is nothing out there,” Dlouhy said. “No hope for any grass on that place this summer.”

Dlouhy and three other trucks were to deliver feed to the Naomi Loomis ranch, 26 miles north of Broadwater in the panhandle. Before they could get to the ranch, a maintainer had to clear the sand like he was plowing snow so the trucks could get down the lane.

“The husband and boys looked so worn out, beat,” Dlouhy said. “They were able to save the house and barn, but lost all their feed.”

Hay was donated by Steve Wendt, Kyle Grotechluschen, Dave Eisenmann, Matt Proposki, Clay Groetchluschen, Merlin Groteluschen, Brent Behlen, Darren Beller, Jamie Dlouhy, Glen Hillen, Dennis Kuester, Mike Settje, Arthur Frewing, Charles Seadschlag and Gary Gossman.

In Arthur, population 125, Paul Cleveland was asked by the Ogallala Livestock Association to spearhead efforts to replace hay for the affected ranchers.

“Our losses are huge here,” Cleveland said. “The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.”

Cleveland said they put together lists of those needing hay and will continue to add to the list because grass will not be replaced any time soon. Some of the cows may need to be taken to South Dakota to sustain them. The lack of moisture will prolong the time needed for recovery of the grazing land.

“If we don’t have immediate moisture we will exceed a one-year window of recovery,” Cleveland said. “It could be four to five (years) in some places because this ground is so soft, so sandy and so sensitive. It will come back, but it will take time and a lot of help from above.”

Fences were clipped to allow firefighters to get through to the active fires. Cattle got out, but most did not go far. Most went to water sites, the safest place. The ground was tromped down and smooth so the fire just jumped over the cows.

A lot of the places don’t have windmills but had solar panels to draw water, with many of them burned.

Cleveland said Arthur is in heart to it. The Morrill fire was the first then came the others, with their causes undetermined.

The area destroyed is larger than the state of Rhode Island, Cleveland said.

Area feed stores have started a foundation for funds to stay specifically in small towns. The address is Morrill Fire Relief Fund, c/o Crusty’s Feed Store, P.O. Box 212, Arthur, NE 69121.

The trucking bringing feed will be a foreign site on many of the ranches.

"Most of these cows have never seen a truck,” Cleveland said. “We’re pretty self-sustaining here, but we’ve just lost that.”

He said that many people offering assistance were recipients of assistance during the 2019 floods, and see the wild fires as their turn to do the helped.

“You never pay it back,” Cleveland said, “you pay it forward.”

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