Jerusalem Ridge Farms

Last Thursday afternoon Mae Cline of Winchester got one of those calls you pray you never get.  The Clark County, KY boer goat breeder's main barn had caught fire and around 140 goats were lost in the blaze.

When I talked to Mae on Friday, she was still in shock.  The structure was underinsured and there was no coverage for the animals, the hay, the gravity wagon, the feed, the working facilities - well, you get the idea.  The one thing Mae knew for sure was that she didn't intend to give up.  About 60 of her animals survived the fire, but many of those were meat animals destined for market.  The goats that died were all high-end registered stock.

After things have settled down and Mae makes some decisions on what direction she intends to go in (commercial or registered,) we'll talk again and see what, if anything, the Kentucky Goat Producers Association can do to help here get back on her feet.  She said it made her feel better to know someone cared.

Well, Mae, lots of folks care.  Son-in-law Hank told me yesterday afternoon that a crew from Kentucky State University were headed over today to help with the remaining animals.  KSU's goat extension specialist Ken Andries e-mailed me last Friday and said he had offered the loan of some of the University's equipment.  A number of folks around the state have pledged to come to Mae's aid when the time is right.  Some will be helping her restore the infrastructure needed to manage a goat operation.

Mae will recover - she's a strong lady.  It's just comforting to know that when disaster strikes, the goat community responds.  I hope to bring you more good news about Mae's recovery soon.

To read Winchester Sun Stories about the fire and the recovery, visit http://www.winchestersun.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=2829&format=html and http://www.winchestersun.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=2838&format=html.

God Bless you, Mae.  You're definitely in our prayers.

Ray