SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — A Greenville, Texas cattle rancher and businessman is heading up his own private effort to save lives and livelihoods in the panhandle. Because, if the tables were turned, he hopes it’s what his neighbors to the north would do for him.
“It just resonates with me. I get it. I get it,” Lee Wells said while standing outside the Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op in Sulphur Springs. Through his website, he is raising donations to purchase cattle feed, at cost from the co-op, and deliver it to farmers and ranchers in need after the devastating and deadly wildfires raced through several counties.
Conservative estimates place the number of cattle killed by the wildfire near 7,000. Tens of thousands more, with grasslands burned and destroyed, are at risk of starvation and death.
So, the Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op offers a third choice: offering as much cattle feed as needed at cost so that Wells and other volunteers can truck it to the panhandle. Wells has coordinated payment and delivery of more than 100 tons of feed so far.
“We feel like it’s the right thing to do. It’s neighbor helping neighbor,” said co-op general manager Chuck Smith. “And that’s just the way we were brought up. We were taught to help each other. So that’s what we’re doing. Texans helping Texans.”
“If guys like me aren’t doing this,” Wells said, “the cattle aren’t going to have anything to eat.”
State Representative Jill Dutton is helping connect Wells with state leaders in the panhandle to learn where it’s needed most.
“I just consider him one of our hometown heroes in his effort,” Dutton said.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is creating a legislative committee to investigate the Texas Panhandle wildfires to ensure the state is prepared for future disasters. His Tuesday announcement comes more than two weeks after the deadly infernos first started burning more than 1 million acres in the region.
Tuesday night, Lee Wells had 10 more tons of cattle feed loaded on his own flatbed trailer. He leaves for Fritch, Texas in the panhandle Wednesday morning.
“So it really does fall back on our shoulders to get it done,” he said of neighbors helping neighbors. “I will dedicate as much time as it needs to make sure that I do what those guys would do for me.”
Wells guesses the effort will need to continue for as long as 6-months. If you’d like to donate to the cause you can find a link here.