'Like we're starting all over,' says grower who felt wrath of Twin Cities storm
"Financially, it's crushing," said Traen, who opened the farm with her husband in 2012 and does not have crop insurance. "It's like we're starting all over."
More than 100 volunteers, some of whom were strangers, came out to help clear the land with chain saws Saturday afternoon. It was a scene repeated across
Some of the most serious damage was in
Path of destruction
The tornado touched down west-southwest of
"We're trying to do the best that we possibly can with the situation," he said, noting that the roofs were torn off dugouts at the local baseball fields. "Everyone pitched in, helped out their neighbors and it makes you feel proud of your community to see people coming together."
Officials rescheduled the annual fireworks display for Sunday at
Cleanup begins
Storm cleanup continued Saturday around
In
"[We found] a ton of stuff that had been blown all over. It was garbage day in some areas, so garbage was spread all over and a trampoline was in the road in
He said that despite the downed trees and power lines, there was little structural damage found in
Trees were also reported down in the
Farther south, officials in
Gusts from the tornado that touched down in
The family still plans to open for the apple season this fall, albeit with a smaller crop. Uprooted trees will be sold as applewood for smoking meats, but thousands of unripe fruits will have to be pitched.
The orchard was recently approved to hold weddings and is booked for its first large event in mid-August for a class reunion.
"Thank God we didn't have a wedding today, because the tent would no longer be there," said Traen's daughter,
"It's amazing what can happen in only a few minutes," Traen said. "But this is truly a place of love and we're going to keep going."
Staff writers
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