Tornado near Firestone uproots produce at local farm

A rare and dramatic tornado touched down yesterday east of Longmont.

The spout tore through the fields at Miller Farms in Platteville, CO, wreaking havoc and causing substantial damage to crops and farm equipment. 

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and in 31 years I’ve never seen a tornado right in front of me like that,” said Michelle Vanhoesen, owner of Miller Farms.

Vanhoesen said when she first saw it she rounded up the kids and the dogs, to take shelter in her parents’ basement a few miles away. Once they were safe, she did what most other locals did — took out her phone to capture photos and video of the tornado.

Vanhoesen’s grandparents started the farm in 1949, and her children are the fourth generation of stewards to the farmland. Miller Farms is a mainstay at farmers markets in Boulder County and surrounding areas.

Though there was no structural damage to the barn, sheds or farmhouse, and all the people and animals were unharmed, the fields took a hit from hail and turbulent winds when the funnel touched down.

“Fortunately it wasn’t all of our fields, but our crops definitely got the worst of it,” Vanhoesen said. “We might be able to harvest 30-40% of what’s left, so it’s not a total loss.”

Some of the farm equipment got caught up in the twister as well. One of the 18 wheeled semi-truck trailers that the farm uses for farmer’s markets was upended against a tree. One of the tractor combines was also flipped by the gusts of wind. A full assessment of the damages is still in progress.

Vanhoesen has a GoFundMe set up to help with the recovery, but the community has already rallied to help her family.

“The outpouring of community really fills my heart,” Vanhoesen said. “We’ve had people dropping off food and water, volunteers showed up this morning to clear debris from the fields and help us start to clean up. People have just been amazing.”

The Miller Farm GoFundMe page is hoping to raise $10,000 to help with repairs and cleanup. On the first day it’s already raised more than $3,000 toward the goal.