In Missouri, storms with lightning and thunder are pretty common this time of year. Recently, the area had been hit with some severe weather and flooding, which caused a lot of damage.
On one particular Saturday morning, farmer Jared Blackwelder and his wife Misty were feeding their dairy cows. As they worked, they heard loud noises from the storm, but they didn’t think much of it. Just another storm passing through, or so they thought.
Later in the day, Jared went out to the pasture to gather the cows for the evening milking. But when he got there, he froze in shock. All 32 of his cows were dead, piled on top of each other in the field. His mind raced as he looked over the empty, lifeless pasture. What could have happened?
Stan Coday, the president of the Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau, later explained what had happened. Jared had gone out to fetch the cows like any other day, but instead, he found them all dead, struck down by a force of nature.
CBS News reported that while lightning strikes killing livestock isn’t rare, losing so many cows at once was something extreme. The local vet who came to inspect confirmed that lightning had indeed caused their deaths.
It appeared that during the storm, the cows had huddled together under some trees, seeking shelter. Unfortunately, this only made things worse when lightning hit.
“You’re at the mercy of nature,” said Coday, remembering a similar situation when he lost a cow to lightning a few years back. Farmers know that these things can happen, but the loss still hits hard every time.
“They’re not pets, but I’ve raised every one of them,” Jared shared with the Springfield News-Leader, clearly heartbroken. Dairy cows are handled every day, twice a day, and losing them isn’t just about the money—it’s personal.
And financially, this was a huge blow. Jared said he had insurance, but he wasn’t sure if it would cover the full loss, which he estimated to be around $60,000. Each of those certified organic cows was worth between $2,000 and $2,500.
Coday pointed out that most farmers don’t have insurance for their cows. If they lose a cow, they’re out of luck. “Losing a cow means losing everything,” he said.
Some neighbors asked if the meat from the dead cows could still be used, but Coday, who also breeds beef cows, explained why it couldn’t. “The cows had been dead for several hours by the time they were found,” he said. “That makes the meat unsafe for human consumption.”
He also mentioned that most Missouri farmers don’t keep their cows in separate barns, because the weather in the state is usually mild enough that it’s not necessary. However, as this tragedy shows, even with milder weather, nature can still be unpredictable and unforgiving.
For Jared and Misty, it was a heartbreaking day, and the impact of the loss would be felt for a long time. Nature had dealt them a harsh blow, and now, they would have to find a way to move forward.