Farmer forced to sacrifice hogs to floodwaters

OAKVILLE, Iowa - By the time a friend sped up the lane to Ron Lanz's farm Saturday evening - shouting that the Iowa River levee had blown - Lanz knew he faced a fateful decision: To save his own life, more than ...

[Tattoo Rosie]

Old farmers never give up. Keep on, Brother Lanz.

[Jean SmilingCoyote]

If you don't put fences around animals, they've got a better chance of running away from the floods. Hunting's better.

[Pingu]

Heartbreaking story. ... What a terrible decision to have to make.

[Tim]

Ironically, if he'd taken precautions from the beginning, the animals could've been saved. Scores of volunteers (school kids, prisoners)could've been brought in to help.

[Fifi]

Tim wrote:

Ironically, if he'd taken precautions from the beginning, the animals could've been saved. Scores of volunteers (school kids, prisoners)could've been brought in to help.

Tim, either you've never tried to move hogs either or the ones you did move were of that miniature variety.
Hogs are very, very difficult, not to mention aggressive, to load and unload onto trucks and it is a difficult and dangerous job. It's also a time consuming job to load nearly a thousand hogs onto trucks.
There is no way that someone inexperienced in handling hogs (school kids, prisoners) could have helped, they would only have been in the way.
This man did what he could. For all of you bunny huggers out there, these hogs are his livelihood and that of his family. He's not going to abuse the thing that is bringing home the paycheck, no matter what the activists at the Humane Society of the United States tells you.
This is a good story and it's representative of all the difficult choices that have been made across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. It would be nice to see people have a little compassion instead of hauling their sizeable hind ends onto their soapboxes to spout more tired activist junk.
Mr. Lanz has the kind of gumption that most of us don't have in our little finger, that to clean up and just keep going so he'll have something tangible and solid to leave his sons and grandsons.

[Javier]

Other item to remember is this is just one of the many terrible impacts of this huge flood. There are probably 10,000's of farms, houses, and businesses that need help and with the encroaching water rising fast, not all will receive it. Drive down a highway for 300 - 400 miles and think of all the houses and farms you see on the trip, mulitply that by 10 or more and thats the situation we have now in the Midwest of people in flood trouble.

[Stan]

I know this sounds tripe but I feel that mans pain.

[Hardliner]

Swine

[Jennifer]

Hunting is better??? How on earth would millions of people in cities all be able to hunt. There is not enough empty space for all of civilization to hunt. I understand the concept of farming is not the best way to treat animals, but someone has to feed the carnivores. Hunting is one way to eat meat, but it is not a good idea for millions to do.

Jean SmilingCoyote wrote:

If you don't put fences around animals, they've got a better chance of running away from the floods. Hunting's better.

[Decision]

What a tough decision. I hope he stays and continues what his family started generations ago.
Good Luck to all and God Bless.

Now, I think it is time America takes a look at what we have, what needs to be changed and how we are going to make it happen!

[junior]

after reading this, i am flabbergasted. i do not even know what to say about this ridiculous pig farmer. there are just too many angles.

[What Was He Thinking]

WHY, when TriOak Foods last week pulled its 4,500 pigs out of the Lanz feeding sheds, did Lanz and his cousins decide to "stand pat"?
And WHY when estimates of the 2008 flood crests rose, by A FOOT A DAY did Mr. Lanz "never seriously consider moving his hogs"??
Disgusting inaction.

[WIZ53805]

Fifi wrote:

<quoted text>
Tim, either you've never tried to move hogs either or the ones you did move were of that miniature variety.
Hogs are very, very difficult, not to mention aggressive, to load and unload onto trucks and it is a difficult and dangerous job. It's also a time consuming job to load nearly a thousand hogs onto trucks.
There is no way that someone inexperienced in handling hogs (school kids, prisoners) could have helped, they would only have been in the way.
This man did what he could. For all of you bunny huggers out there, these hogs are his livelihood and that of his family. He's not going to abuse the thing that is bringing home the paycheck, no matter what the activists at the Humane Society of the United States tells you.
This is a good story and it's representative of all the difficult choices that have been made across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. It would be nice to see people have a little compassion instead of hauling their sizeable hind ends onto their soapboxes to spout more tired activist junk.
Mr. Lanz has the kind of gumption that most of us don't have in our little finger, that to clean up and just keep going so he'll have something tangible and solid to leave his sons and grandsons.

Couldn't agree more, less talk more action folks, lots of good people need help now, time for everyone to get their hands dirty and learn the real meaning of "Survivor".

[Bob Slaz]

Fifi wrote:

<quoted text> Mr. Lanz has the kind of gumption that most of us don't have in our little finger, that to clean up and just keep going so he'll have something tangible and solid to leave his sons and grandsons.

All I know is, farming is the toughest job in the world: a combination of banker, mechanic, carpenter, plumber, veterinarian, engineer, trucker, accountant and professional gambler, with terrible hours and virtually no vacation; most people couldn't handle a half-day as a farmer, but this guy and thousands like him are busting their butts every day.

[Barney]

Bob Slaz wrote:

<quoted text>
All I know is, farming is the toughest job in the world: a combination of banker, mechanic, carpenter, plumber, veterinarian, engineer, trucker, accountant and professional gambler, with terrible hours and virtually no vacation; most people couldn't handle a half-day as a farmer, but this guy and thousands like him are busting their butts every day.

Amen.

[Mike In Virginia]

junior wrote:

after reading this, i am flabbergasted. i do not even know what to say about this ridiculous pig farmer. there are just too many angles.

Junior
Stick to what you know which by your post indicates you know nothing. Angles? What angles, is this some sort of conspiracy? "Ridiculous pig farmer" is the guy who put food on your plate and if have kids in their stomach's. I'm sure after this is all over he will pick up where he left off without complaining or without his hands out begging and continue to keep his family tradition alive.

[nick]

next time pick corn or soybeans. people don't need to eat meat. unreal. how sickening is this?

[Jon B]

OK...asking the obvious here...but when you're moving hogs in a semi trailer, isn't it usually because you're taking them to slaughter?

[Dude]

THEY'RE PIGS. They were gonna be slaughtered anyway! Is this guy upset cuz he just lost thousands of dollars? I don't get it.

[HaHa]

Stan wrote:

I know this sounds tripe but I feel that mans pain.

Tripe, I get it.:) Funny