We will build again at Princeton

After taking a direct hit from the Dec. 10, 2021 tornado, plans are already underway to rebuild the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center at Princeton. Photo courtesy of UK Ag Communications.

We will build again at Princeton. Our commitment to western Kentucky and the entire region remains. The Category EF-4 tornado on December 10, 2021 damaged 49 of the 59 structures at the Research and Education Center. Fortyone of those structures were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, including barns, sheds, shops, houses, and the main building. The main building, which was recently renovated and expanded, received a direct hit from the tornado.

Cleanup is underway. Temporary offices are less than four weeks away. Temporary laboratories are coming as well. Two separate crews have been hired to assist with the cleanup and demolition of structures beyond repair. Assessment of the full extent of damage is ongoing. Equipment manufacturers and retailers are evaluating or will be evaluating the impact on our farm and research equipment. Much of the research equipment, like planters, sprayers and harvesters, are built-to-order. Those will likely take longer to assess than the commercial equipment. We know some tractors were lost, some will require major repairs, and some will require minimal repairs.

Shown above was the UKREC’s lobby entrance and the office wing for faculty and staff. Photo courtesy of UK Ag Communications.

The entire station is about 1,300 acres of field crops, horticulture crops and pastures/hayfields. We think debris was on about 95% of it after the tornado. There is about a three-quarter-mile path through the woodlands. We lost miles of fencing. Some of it was ripped out, posts and all, while other sections were taken out by trees, and in others the wires are gone but the posts remain. The beef crew and neighbors acted quickly to get cattle back into secure paddocks.

The main building housed research labs and service labs like the soil testing lab. For now, soil samples from western Kentucky will go to Lexington where that soil testing lab will have about a 40% greater workload. The same is happening with the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. We hope the temporary labs will help both service labs gain some function. Some of our research was lost. Graduate students who were working in those labs will be able to continue once the temporary labs are in place. Again, we do not know the full function of those labs.

We expect that some field research across all crops and livestock will be disrupted this spring. Debris must be removed, equipment function determined, and temporary laboratories established before we can understand the full impact on research we face. At least the forages and wheat are mostly dormant, and we hope debris removal will have minimal impact on results in those studies.

Shown above is what was the interior entrance to the conference center gallery at the UKREC. Photo courtesy of UK Ag Communications.

Amongst the rubble and ruin, we think we were able to save much of the research data on computers. We were able to save some of the data and notes written in lab books. The restored Farmall Cub tractor, which was one of the first tractors used at the station, has some bumps and bruises, but is mostly intact. The restored AllisChalmers 333 “No-Til” planter, a version of the first commercially accepted no-till planter, has broken seed boxes, but the frame and tires are sound. Some “new” seed boxes and a thorough cleaning should be about all that is needed.

Several volunteers were extremely helpful in removing debris, helping us gain access to some equipment, securing solar panels, working with adjusters, securing temporary offices and storage, and hauling water for beef cattle. Others have donated gloves, tools, and temporary fencing. Early on, some people stopped by with boxed lunches for whomever was working. Some farmers have donated their time and that of their employees. They have burned their fuel, punctured their tires and put wear and tear on their equipment to help us. We appreciate the generosity of our neighbors and friends.

The Research and Education Center was established because of the demand by local farmers and citizens to see applied research in western Kentucky. Buildings and people followed because of our commitment to the people we serve. The Grain and Forage Center of Excellence brought the most recent renovation and expansion. That happened only because of farmers and citizens across Kentucky asking for it to happen – and helping us make it happen. We will build again in Princeton. We are here for you. We are here because of you.