OHFA & LCHFA Members Help Farmers In Need
North Lake County was able to send three truck loads of hay to flood damaged Chehalis, Washington. Many farmers lost entire herds in the 15 foot high water. Those who were able to get their herds to high ground faced another problem. Most of the feed had been washed away and their animals were in danger of starving to death.
The idea to help started in the Ft. Rock Community Church on Sunday Dec. 16th. Hay farmers always have a couple of good blocks of hay left over but not enough to fill a truck. What if we were able to drive around to different farms and load a truck with left over hay? Jerold Simmons started calling people that he knew and Keith Maxwell called Lee Roy Horton from Christmas Valley Community Church who also started calling around. Ken Cade donated a truck and driver for the trip and Leon Baker of Silver Lake Church of the Bible spend a day diving Cade’s truck from farm to farm to be loaded. Scott Pierson OHFA president donated his truck and time to take the second load. In no time at all we had enough hay to fill two trucks. The two trucks coordinated with a sale yard in Chehalis who knew which people were in the greatest need. Each truck followed a very surprised farmer home where a local squeeze operator donated his service. Scott Pierson was shocked at the water damage. “I was looking up at water lines on overpasses that were higher then my loaded truck.”
Word got out through the North Lake Community and our Local Paper the Outback News that monetary donations were being accepted at Greater Oregon Credit Union to help with the fuel cost. In about three weeks the first trip was paid for and there was enough left over to send a third load. OHFA and LCHFA each donated $200 toward the fuel costs. Donations of hay were again accepted and Scott Pierson’s truck was again loaded. By this time FEMA had stepped in to help the farmers, but the small operations were still in need. Pierson coordinated with the Lewis County Animal Shelter for this load. Again a local squeeze was on hand to unload the truck into a storage facility that the Shelter could use.
With rising costs and the economic slump, farming is tough. Thank you to all who donated either individually or through your OHFA and LCHFA membership!
Cassie Pierson, Secretary LCHFA
Hay haulers prove loading methods safe
Three-year fight to undo rule ‘quite an accomplishment’
Cecilia Parsons, Capital Press 10/7/07
Hay haulers have been successful in proving to the federal government that their method of securing loads of square bales meets all safety criteria.
The announcement this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation elicited a one-word response from Nevada hay dealer Taylor Stack.
"Finally," Stack said as he sent out word of the ruling. Stack has been one of the industry representatives who have worked for the past three years to convince the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reconsider their new regulations for hauling hay and straw.
"This was a major hurdle, but we proved industry standards were good," Stack said in a phone interview Tuesday morning. "It was a huge undertaking to undo that rule and fix it. It was quite an accomplishment." read the rest of the story.....
Loads of square bales of hay and straw satisfy the "equivalent means of securement" requirements in 49 CFR 393.102(c) under the following conditions:
1. For square bales of hay or straw that are unitized using longitudinal ropes or tiedown assemblies:
a. Trucks or trailers 32 feet or less in length require the use of a minimum of one lateral tiedown placed in the approximate center of the length of the truck or trailer.
b. Trucks or trailers greater than 32 feet in length require the use of a minimum of two lateral tiedowns which must be positioned at approximately one-third and two-thirds of the length of the truck or trailer.
c. In both cases above, the aggregate working load limit requirements of 49 CFR 393.106(d) still apply,'
2. For loads of square bales of hay or straw that are NOT unitized using longitudinal ropes or tiedown assemblies:
a. These loads must conform to the general cargo securement requirements of 49 CFR 393.100-114.
