While missing cats and dogs aren’t uncommon following a flood like the one that hit southeastern Wisconsin on Aug. 9 and 10, one family farm in Washington County has a rather abnormal story to tell.
The weekend’s flooding left Basse’s Farms with multiple acres of crops completely underwater — but in a “silver lining” the family-run business was able to rescue one of the most beloved parts of its farm: its koi fish, according to Blake Basse, who helps run the farm alongside his sister and parents.
Blake said his family was surveying the damage Sunday when his sister, Sarah, noticed what at first looked like an orange traffic cone. They quickly realized it was one of about six koi fish who live in the farm’s pond and they were able to rescue two of the fish immediately, Blake said.
But one eluded them. The family spent an hour and a half looking for the koi, “soaking wet, boots in water,” he said.
“I finally noticed it, but I was a little chicken … the water was pretty deep,” Blake said. “But my dad’s like, ‘I don’t care, I want to save the koi,’ and just jumped into the water.”
The koi ultimately all made it home to their pond safe, he said. The rescue was a welcome piece of good news as the family waits to see if their submerged crops survive the flooding.
The floods left Basse’s with an acre and a half of strawberries completely underwater, reaching six feet at the deepest point. Though the strawberries may survive if the water drains within 48 hours, Blake said the farm’s four acres of underwater pumpkins are already rotted and unsalvageable.
The rain was the worst the farm has seen since his family moved there in 2000, he said.
“The flooding is getting worse,” he added. “To our west, we’ve got a lot of houses going up, so a lot of their water comes and floods the crops.”
In the meantime, Blake said the farm has some pumpkin crops on higher ground that have survived. They are planning to hold their apple and sunflower festival in late August and pumpkin festival in September as planned.
“Sometimes no matter how hard you try and work and how well of a crop you grow, at the end of the day, you’re at the mercy of mother nature,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin State Farmer: Family farm in Colgate rescues koi fish swept away by flooding
Reporting by Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Wisconsin State Farmer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
