Allen Miller of Baltic was part of this Ohio Relief Haulers convoy that recently delivered hay bales to farmers in Nebraska. (Ohio Relief Haulers)

BALTIC (WJER) - Local volunteers are among those delivering donations to farmers devastated by floods and other weather events in the Midwest. 

Allen Miller of Baltic loaded his truck with hay bales and drove 850 miles to Omaha and Battle Creek, Nebraska, in April with the group Ohio Relief Haulers. He says some farmers there won’t have any crops this year because of flooding after a dam broke.

“When the dam ripped, they got 11-foot of water. It just wiped buildings. There was nothing there but the concrete pad,” he says. “They lost everything.”

Miller says he saw buildings that had been washed away and met farmers who lost fields of crops.

“Their fields have three to four foot of sand in some of their fields and their fencing is gone so they can’t even far this summer,” he says. “They lost everything. The one guy said he farms 2,300 acres, and he will be able to farm about 300 this year.”

He says he’s helping because others have done the same for him.

“Everybody helped me out last year in August. I donated a kidney to my mom, and everybody helped me out, and I thought, well, if I can go help somebody else out I’ll go help,” he says.

Miller says the relief efforts would not have been possible without Ohio Relief Haulers organizers Brittany and Travis Hamlin of Rootstown, who put together the convoy that included more than 30 trucks. The group is planning another donation delivery in the near future. To donate or help, visit Ohio Relief Haulers on Facebook.

BILL HAMMERSTROM, WJER RADIO