Mammoser Farm Recovers From Tornado Damage

EDEN, N.Y. — A fourth-generation family farm is recovering from the ashes after a tornado tore through it Wednesday in the town of Eden.

“It’s very emotional,” said Catherine Mammoser, daughter of Don Mammoser of Mammoser Farms. “When I came in yesterday after everything that happened, it was not what we expected.”

She and her brother, David, said they continued to find new damage as they retraced their steps a day later.

“We’re still trying to figure out how and what we’re going to do,” David said. “We’ve been sorting cattle all morning, trying to round them up, hoping they’ll calm down a little bit because they’re still pretty worked up.”

They lost one calf to injuries, but others were able to be treated after a barn collapsed while David was inside.

“The wind started to drop and it started to rain, and then it calmed down. Then all of a sudden I looked up and the roof ripped off, and I couldn’t see anything. So I ran to the skid steer inside the barn. One of the calves was so panicked that he turned around and jumped into the skid steer, almost on top of me.”

Debris is strewn across acres of a field and hanging from power lines 24 hours later.

The family said they were in good spirits as they prepared to ride out the storm. They had suffered similar damage in 2014, during the November storm.

“I think we have a really good work ethic,” Catherine said. “We all have a great relationship and we all work together.”