Thunderstorms and lightning are common in Missouri this time of year, but recent severe weather caused devastating losses for local farmers. On a Saturday morning, Springfield farmer Jared Blackwelder and his wife, Misty, heard loud crashes but initially paid little attention. Later, when Jared went to collect the cows for evening milking, he discovered a heartbreaking scene: 32 of his dairy cows dead, piled together on the mulch.

Stan Coday, president of the Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau, confirmed that lightning was the likely cause. The cows may have huddled behind trees during the storm, leaving them vulnerable.

“It’s not like they are pets, but I’ve raised every one I milk,” Blackwelder told the Springfield News-Leader. The financial loss is significant, with each certified organic cow valued at $2,000–$2,500, totaling nearly $60,000.

Coday emphasized that most Missouri farmers lack cow barns, making livestock vulnerable, and meat from lightning-struck animals cannot be consumed.