Perdue Meets With Farmers From Storm-Ravaged South Alabama

By Debra Davis

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue met with south Alabama farmers in Loxley today to learn more about the devastation from Hurricane Sally, which struck Alabama Sept. 16.

The storm dumped more than 20 inches of rain and packed winds estimated at 105 miles per hour as it slowly rumbled through south Alabama. It inflicted heavy damage to what appeared to be an excellent pecan crop and unknown damage to promising harvests of cotton, peanuts and soybeans.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, left, talks with Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell after a roundtable discussion with Alabama farmers today in Loxley. Roundtable discussions included crop and livestock structural damage caused by Hurricane Sally Sept. 16.

“President Trump very quickly declared these three counties (Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile) as presidential disaster areas, which opened up USDA’s safety nets and disaster programs,” Perdue said.

The secretary said today’s listening session will help make sure USDA appropriates resources and personnel to help farmers as they recover from the storm.

Roundtable members included Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell, Federation State Board member Mark Kaiser of Seminole, Baldwin County Farmers Federation President Hope Cassebaum and Baldwin County Board members Joel Sirmon and Ray Bertolla.

Baldwin County Farmers Federation Board members with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell, Gov. Kay Ivey’s Chief of Staff Jo Bonner and Alabama Ag Commissioner Rick Pate, today in Loxley.

Cassebaum, a third-generation Baldwin County farmer who lives near Lillian, said her farm was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sally. Since the storm, she said much of the work on their farm has been to clear fields so they could continue harvest.

“This storm wasn’t what anyone in our area expected,” said Cassebaum, who said predictions indicated the storm would make landfall farther west and wouldn’t pack such a punch. “Then all of the sudden, it got much worse. We were prepared, just not as much as we would have been. We’re going to survive because this is what we love to do. It’s in our blood, and it’s our way of life. They’ll be a lot of cleanup for a long time.”