The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association has launched an effort to help cattle ranchers in South Dakota who are trying to recover from a natural disaster. The untimely blizzard that hit western South Dakota in early October killed anywhere from 20-to-30-thousand (20,000 to 30,000) cattle, according to government estimates. Matt Deppe is CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, which is calling on its members to donate toward the relief efforts in South Dakota. Deppe is hoping $2,000 will come from each Iowa county.

“That’s about the value of a bred heifer right now,” Deppe says. The storm that struck the Black Hills on October 4 packed 70 mile per hour winds and left behind snow drifts that were up to 10 feet high. The collection of Iowa donations from cattle producers is being coordinated by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation. Deppe says the foundation will send 100-percent of the Iowa dollars to the South Dakota Rancher Relief Fund.

“We’d like to get our donations in by the middle of December and turn around and send right up to the South Dakota crew,” Deppe says. Payments from individuals, businesses and county groups should be made out to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation with a notation that the money is for the South Dakota ranchers. Those donations can be mailed to: Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation, 2055 Ironwood Ct., Ames, IA 50014. Deppe is asking donations be made prior to Iowa Cattle Industry Convention in Altoona, December 9-11.

(Radio Iowa)