Flood Recovery Update And Thank You Letter January 9, 2008

Link to photos

It has been about a month since the big flood and we are finally able to sit down, consider our losses, deal with paper work, and look over the flood pictures again and again and again (will we ever tire of this?) Our “to-do” list is longer than we would like for this time of year thanks to the flood, but we are feeling pretty solid, organized and ready to face the upcoming season with confidence. I have just ordered seeds and greenhouse supplies and am already itching to get started. Soon enough…. Our wish list is getting smaller, but we still need to replace some things lost in the flood. If you or anyone you know can help us, we would appreciate it greatly. See the end of this letter for that list.

Like everyone else it seems, this flood took us by surprise. It floods here every year to some degree and we always thought ourselves knowledgeable in the patterns of the floods. There were no little teaser floods before this to force us to prepare. The river wasn’t even particularly high when this all started.
On Sunday the 2nd when we went to bed there was a small amount of water in the low hayfield down the road. On Monday when we woke up, water was over the road in front of our house, in the farm fields, and rising. We looked at each other and said, “Hmm, this is serious”. After consulting with the NOAA weather website that tracks the Chehalis River and fielding phone calls from concerned friends who were also watching the website, we quickly realized this could be a record breaker. Our neighbor came and spent the day helping us move things onto high shelves and tables. We drove 2 truckloads of tools, lawn mowers, storage produce, and misc. supplies off the farm. The tractors, truck, and personal car were the last to leave to what was “high” ground in the 1996 flood. We worked non-stop until dusk and then returned to the house with the canoe tied to the porch.
On Tuesday we woke to water creeping up our steps at a slow yet noticeable rate. With knots in our stomachs and trying to maintain a certain level of calmness around the kids, Jim and I debated the pros and cons of staying or leaving in the canoe. Water was already over our heads in the driveway and the river was not due to crest for another 20 hours, so we decided to leave the farm and stay with friends. We waited for a break in the rain and paddled above the road and out over the hayfields to the waiting hands of our friends.
For the next few days we stayed in a house overlooking our farm, which allowed us to watch the water rise then fall leaving us a huge mess to deal with. We canoed in several times a day to survey damage, take pictures, and check on the cat, and chickens (who took up residence in the kid’s elevated playhouse.)
By Friday we could return home to stay and try to figure out where to start. Thankfully no water got in our house, though it was about 6 inches below the insulation. Our heat pump and ductwork were ruined and fire wood soaked. Our water pipes broke when our pressure tank floated and floodwater got into our well, contaminating our drinking water. Our freezer full of homegrown meat and berries was lying open in the mud-a total loss. In the barns, tables had been overturned and contents dumped. Most of our “high” shelves were not high enough and many tools and supplies were covered in mud, ruined. Many items had floated away (like pallets of onions and shallots) and were either gone completely or lodged in the hedgerows. The greenhouse looked as if a tornado had whipped through it. All of our tractor implements and field trucks had been under water. Our yurt (summer worker housing) had shifted on its foundation leaving it unstable and the old school bus house was ¾ under water. Our car was not quite high enough and sits at the mechanic with puddles on the floor. (The prognosis does not look good.) I could go on and on…. We were pretty overwhelmed.
And then an amazing thing happened. Friends started coordinating work parties and for the next week and a half, there would be anywhere from 5-20 people a day converging on the farm. The weather was horrid (freezing cold, very wet, and MUDDY!!!) Volunteers included friends, neighbors, Olympia Farmers Market vendors, Food Co-op staff, TESC students, The Gleaners, and complete and total strangers (we may not have caught all your names, but your faces and your work are etched in our minds!) They dragged everything out of all the buildings and hosed off each salvageable item. Buildings were hosed and mucked out, garbage heaps formed, items retrieved from the hedges and creek. A building crew came to help us build a loft and higher shelves. People brought us cooked meals and groceries. The Olympia Farmers Market bought us loads of gravel to cover the muddy driveway, space heaters, dry firewood, lumber, and other essential supplies. Donation checks starting arriving in the mail, through the Farmers Market, and the Olympia Food Co-op from our customers and family to help us get back on our feet. People from the Red Cross, National Guard, and local churches brought bottled water and cleaning supplies. Strangers showed up with dump trucks to haul away garbage for free (and there was A LOT, believe me!)

So, a month later, here we are, mostly cleaned up and organized, shelves built, wood stacked, faith in humanity restored. Jim and I are really beyond words when trying to express our gratitude and appreciation for all people have done for us. Events like this remind us how essential a strong community is. If we had had to deal with this all on our own, I can’t even imagine…. We could have done it, I’m sure, but it would have taken our entire winter and we’d be very sad and jaded people by the end of it all. But thanks to the generosity, care and tireless efforts of many, many people the work is mostly done and we are feeling unbelievably loved and appreciated. This has been a life-changing experience on so many levels. We have seen what greatness humanity is capable of. We have seen the power in numbers and, as the old saying goes, many hands make light work. We have been humbled (in a good way) by such generosity. We have also been humbled (again, in a good way) by the power of nature. We have been reminded to keep our eyes open for opportunities to help others.
Our list of people to thank would easily top 200 and I won’t even attempt it here. Please accept our broad, yet very heartfelt THANK YOU! This is family helping family, friends helping friends, strangers helping strangers, and our market customers, Co-op shoppers and CSA members taking a very active role (going above and beyond) in taking care of YOUR farm and farmers. Food security at its finest!

With smiles and tears of gratitude,
Jennifer Belknap & Jim McGinn

Our Wish List
1. Two pick-up trucks to use in the field. They don’t have to be pretty, just reliable.
2. Construction help to build more shelves, finish our pump house, build a higher chicken co-op, help stabilize the yurt, and other misc. building projects.
3. Dry, ready-to-burn-now fire wood.