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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Surviving the June 29 Derecho

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  • From: "Bill & Izabella" <pureprairiefarm AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Surviving the June 29 Derecho
  • Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:17:36 -0500



On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 7:10 AM, Shoemaker, William H <wshoemak AT illinois.edu> wrote:

It started not far from here in West Chicago, which is about 40 miles straight west of the big city. It is an old town with lots of very old oak trees. Many of them were blown down by the winds, which were estimated at 90 mph at times. I know of no growers who were impacted, but the power was off for some folks for a week (and it got very hot!), and major highways were so littered with debris it took more than 48 hours to get some of them opened up.



We are in West Chicago, Bill.

The plants in our outdoor beds were laying flat and the hail damage looked like someone went thru the beds with a machine gun.  We didn't lose any houses with this storm but the plastic coverings are dimpled like a golf ball.

The real damage happened one mile to the East. 

There was a 50mph wind that went thru two days prior to this storm and one
of our houses was lifted 10' in the air and gently set down and crumpled.

This heat is taking a toll and we are mulching and watering to try to help
the plants get thru it.

The other Bill,
Chicago area


ps; did your industry friends spike the punch bowl at your retirement
party?  Sorry I couldn't make it, I had a speaking engagement.

(Part of Bill's research involved wine grape cultivars and was partly sponsored
by the Illinois Wine Grape Growers Assn.  So, someday in the future, if your
winery friends are ripping out their vines and replacing them with a fantastic
new cold hardy high brix cultivar called the William H Shoemaker then, well,
you heard it here first! )



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