Washington County farm suffers damage from nearby tornado
Storm damage at Basse's Taste of Country in Colgate
A popular Washington County farm was not too far from where a tornado touched down on Tuesday, Aug. 18. But that does not mean the farm escaped damage. High winds damaged crops and flattened some fields. FOX6's Ashley Sears checks out the damage and cleanup.
COLGATE, Wis. - A popular Washington County farm wasn't too far from where a tornado touched down Tuesday. High winds damaged crops and flattened some fields.
Basse's Farms
What we know:
It is one of the busiest times of the year at Basse's Farms in Colgate. They've been getting ready for the Fall Festival season, but lately, it hasn't been easy.
"These are the older plants. These took the hardest hit," Roger Basse, the owner of Basse's Farms said.
Basse's Taste of Country, Colgate
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As storms blew through the area Tuesday, Basse and about 60 others at the farm for group job interviews hunkered down inside.
"Never thought a tornado would come through, but a tornado came through," Basse said.
Storm damage at Basse's Taste of Country, Colgate
Storm damage
What we know:
The farm is less than four miles from where an EF0 tornado touched down. High winds took down crops, about a third of their apples fell from the trees, and part of the sunflower fields were flattened.
"We just go by the punches and make it as best we can," Basse said.
Storm damage at Basse's Taste of Country, Colgate
Basse says this year has been filled with ups and downs, having already dealt with storms, dry conditions, and more heavy rain. The early season had an impact on strawberries, and now this.
"It’s been a whirlwind as farmers, we’re still here," Basse said.
Despite the losses, he's looking on the bright side, knowing there is always next year.
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"We just keep going forward. As farmers, we’re still here," Basse said.
Next weekend, the farm will host its Apple and Sunflower Fest. Basse tells FOX6 News there are still plenty of apples, and they're going to try to clean up their sunflower maze beforehand.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ashley Sears and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Roger Basse and Basse's Farms.