Walbridge Farm recovers from tornado destruction

MILLBROOK —  Seventh-generation farmer Doug Giles has seen a lot of things, but one thing he never expected was the tornado that hit Walbridge Farm on Nov. 12, 2021.

He was working in one of the barns when he heard it coming: “Just like they say, it sounds like a train coming, then you heard the wood creak, and then it was over.”

No one was hurt, and his Black Angus cattle stock was unharmed. But there was damage to other barns, two houses, roofs, and a mature pine toppled onto one of the houses.

“It was a mess—just a mess,” said neighbor Nick Heer. He and Giles were the ones to go up on the roof, first to clear the damage and later to fix what they could. Giles made three phone calls immediately following the hit; the one to 911 was frustrating, and he had to repeat the spelling of his name several times before they would take the address. The second was to Out on a Limb, a local tree service.

“I told them, bring everything you’ve got, every man and all your equipment.” They did, and within half an hour. The third call was to Millbrook Electric, which was also on the scene in less than an hour, to check that all was in order when the electricity could be turned back on.

Neighbors rallied around, but as Giles reported: “It was still a working farm; we had to keep it going. Sometimes the cars would block the driveway. It was hard to work.”

With sons Gunner and Tucker, Giles and a few others got things up and running quickly. Dealing with the insurance company was another story. The damage was assessed at $500,000, of which $160,000 got paid out. The company then sent him a nonrenewal letter. But animals and crops don’t take care of themselves, so putting one foot in front of the other, they progressed.

The new barn was built by Amish workers in about nine days, including a concrete floor, which is more efficient with healthier conditions for the cows. Giles acknowledged that some improvements would have to have been made at some point, but said, “The tornado forced our hands.”

COVID-19 didn’t help matters; the price of building materials went way up, and when it started coming down, the cost of metal went up. At this point, they still need 600 feet of metal gates and panels, for dividing spaces in the big barn to properly feed and care for the animals. That’s a large investment, and if not for the tornado, they might have waited a bit.

Giles is very proud of his operation, especially his breeding program as his beef is born, bred and raised at the farm. There’s not a lot of margin for waste, and 95% of the animal has to be put to good use. They are more or less working at near full capacity.

Son Tucker has moved to Florida; Giles and Gunner work the 1,800-acre spread, which is home to 237 head of Black Angus. After the winter, if all works out, they may hire another full-time worker.

In 2005 Giles started working for George W. Perkins Jr. at Walbridge Farm, who died two years later. In 2008, the family wanted to get out of farming and offered it to Giles; he has been there ever since, with 800 acres in a foundation and the other 1,000 acres leased.

He’s several hundred miles from his birthplace, between Rochester and Buffalo, where his father still lives. But when farming is in your blood, wherever you farm, you’re home. Even tornados don’t stop that.

Some of the desolation at Walbridge Farm in Millbrook after being hit by a tornado on Nov, 12, 2021. Photo by Judith O’Hara Balfe

The barns at Walbridge Farm in Millbrook have been replaced and rebuilt after being hit with a tornado. Some of the work is still in progress. Photo by Judith O’Hara Balfe

Doug Giles with 14-year-old dog Pig; they both, along with others, were unhurt in the devastating tornado that hit  Millbrook’s Walbridge Farm on Nov. 12, 2021. Photo by Judith O’Hara Balfe

Some of the desolation at Walbridge Farm in Millbrook after being hit by a tornado on Nov, 12, 2021. Photo by Judith O’Hara Balfe