COLGATE, Wis. — A Washington County farmer is assessing damage from this week's severe weather as he prepares for one of the busiest times of the year.
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Roger Basse, owner of Basse's Farms in Colgate, said a tornado that touched down just northwest of the farm Tuesday damaged half of his sunflower crops and left hundreds of apples unusable for picking — just over a week before the opening day of the farm's Apple and Sunflower Fest season.
"It's sad. You know, I mean, we put a lot of time and effort into having nice stuff for people and having the best that we can, but I've been old enough, and I'm old enough that it's okay. You know, we just roll with the punches. We'll make it the best we can," Basse said.
The damage is the latest in a string of weather challenges facing farmers across southeastern Wisconsin this season. Heavy rains and flooding hit in the spring, followed by drought-like conditions in July, with severe weather events throughout.
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"Three years ago, I think we had hail go through that we had to deal with and everything. Then last year we had the historic floods. You know, 12, 14 inches in a day and a day and a half," Basse said.
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Now, with another round of severe weather potentially on the way, Basse said hail is his biggest concern heading into the season.
"That could really do damage on apples and stuff. That you know, hail can wipe out a whole field," Basse said.
Despite the setbacks, Basse said he is keeping a close eye on the radar and staying optimistic about the harvest season ahead.
"We're putting all our life savings into the ground. We're taking care of things, and then within seconds it can be gone," Basse said.
Still, he said optimism is simply part of being a farmer.
"You got to be as a farmer...I don't know one farmer that isn't an optimist. You know, otherwise he's not going to be in business very long," Basse said.
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