A fire caused about $1 million worth of damage at Forest Ridge Holsteins in Fond du Lac County, June 19, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
FOREST, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A barn fire is prompting a change in location for Fond du Lac County’s Breakfast on the Farm.
Sunday’s event was originally planned to be held at Forest Ridge Holsteins near Eden but after a fire caused more than $1 million in damages over the weekend, 3-D Dairy at N8148 Schaefer Road in Malone will host.
Forest Ridge Holsteins is owned by Kurt and Sarah Loehr.
Just days before they were expected to have hundreds of guests, enjoying breakfast at their farm for Dairy Month, the Loehr’s are now left picking through the devastating remains of the large fire.
Officials received a report of a barn fire at W2133 Randellen Lane in the township of Forest, just before 10 a.m. Sunday.
“Upon arrival, they discovered a large barn that was fully engulfed in flames,” said Sgt. Logan Will with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office.
Will says Sarah first noticed the fire as she was doing work around the outside of the property. One of the barns contained about 100 cows that were able to be safely removed by Kurt.
“They were able to have a couple other local farmers who offered to take those cows, so fortunately they were able to find another home for them for the time being,” said Will.
Other portions of the barns contained hay, wood shavings and other miscellaneous tools. In total, there was four separate barns and an office building that were all connected to one another that had all started on fire.
It took about seven hours for crews to completely put the fire out. The structure is a complete loss, costing about $1.25 million in damage.
“The actual residence sustained some minor smoke damage to the exterior of the residence,” said Will.
The fire is believed to be caused by an electrical issue and remains under investigation by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office. It is not considered suspicious.
“No injuries at all, fortunately no fire personnel were injured, both the homeowners were outside the residence at the time, and obviously, no livestock were injured either,” said Will.
Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Agri-Business Council puts on the county’s Breakfast on the Farm.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Loehr family as they navigate this difficult situation,” the Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Agri-Business Council wrote in a statement.
Many of the details for Fond du Lac County’s Breakfast on the Farm event will remain the same. It will be held from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will be serving a large country-style breakfast including eggs with ham and cheese, pork sausage, pancakes, applesauce, coffee, and milk. Tickets are $10 for ages 13 & up, $8 for ages 6-12, and children 5 and under are free. Ice cream cups from UW-Platteville Pioneer Sweets will also be available for $2 a cup and available in three flavors: Simply Strawberry, Holstein Swirl, Forest Ridge Mint.
Other activities include live music, a local cheese tasting tent, kiddie tractor pull, a petting zoo and an educational area.
For more information on Fond du Lac County’s Breakfast on the Farm, click here.
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