Groups helps haul for Montana ranchers in need
Glen and Tom Cummings get set for the long haul to Eastern Montana. (Lisa Larson/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
With 30 tons of hay loaded for East Montana ranchers, the Cummings brothers do their part to help. (Lisa Larson/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Glen and Tom are strapped down 30 tons of local hay ready to help ranchers in need on the Eastern side of the state. (Lisa Larson/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
The Sanders County “hay boys” got together to do their part in helping out the Eastern Montana ranchers with some much-needed hay for livestock.
A hay lottery was set up by the Northern Ag Network to help those ranchers who lost crops and bales from the ongoing wildfires.
With thousands of livestock needing the forage for the fall and impending winter, Glen Cummings along with friend and boss Dick Vinson teamed up with Tom Cummings (Glen’s brother) to get a truck load of hay over to the ranchers in need.
“We were talking one day in the field and wondering what could do to help,” said Glen. “Then we came up with the idea, so I called my brother and he donated the truck and travel to come over and freight the load over towards Petroleum County.”
It wasn’t much, he said, but it was enough to get some ranchers started and get some stock fed.
The 30 tons of hay equivocates to more than $5,000 in purchase price, that is not adding the freight costs to which were absorbed by Cummings Livestock Transport run by Tom Cummings.
Transport alone was upwards of $15,000, when taking into account the fuel and mileage.
The Northern Ag Network had been helping coordinate efforts for hay and financial donations for Montana and surrounding states affected by the devastating fires.
The Vinson Ranch in the Thompson Falls area on average can produce around 30 tons of round bales each year.
The first cut was good and allowed them to be able to donate the load. With the second cut coming up they are unsure if they will be able to do a second load, especially with the recent fire up flares that Sanders County has been experiencing.
“We will do what we can where we can,” said Cummings.