(Supplied by Johnson Fresh Farms)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

$2-million in damages estimated in farm shed fire near Taber

Dec 14, 2020 | 2:16 PM

TABER, AB – A farm famous for its Taber corn has lost a significant supply of another product.

At approximately midnight on Saturday, Dec. 12/Sunday, Dec.13, a large shed at Johnson Fresh Farms went up in flames. The building was completely destroyed.

Owner James Johnson says someone who was driving through the area reported it to fire department and a neighbour again put in a call.

“It was right full of Timothy hay and we had one loader in there just kind of parked on the outside – there was just enough room for it to kind of fit right in so we just parked it there because we were going to start hauling some Timothy hay out of there.”

The hay was going to be shipped out this week to Green Prairie International to turn into food for bunnies domestically and internationally.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Mustard Seed adding new shelter spaces at Alberta government's request

2h ago

HOLIDAYS

Medicine Hat Kiwanis hosting Christmas dinner, applications due Friday

4h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

'Compassionate Friends' offer peer support for bereaved in Medicine Hat

20h ago

“It’s really too bad that that shed went up. We have three other sheds, and out of all of our sheds, that’s the one we were the most careful of what went in there for quality purposes just because of the sheer mass and we always kept our high-quality stuff in there so it kind of the one we were the least concerned about having issues in.”

Johnson estimated total damages at around $2-million.

The good news, he says, is that no one was hurt.

While the fire has been extinguished, the M.D. of Taber Regional Fire Service says the contents will continue to smoulder for some time.

The cause of the fire has not been determined yet.