Gracie’s Farm Director Lynsey Gammon and her staff were watching from inside their barn Wednesday, July 22, when the biggest rainstorm she can remember hit Wanship.
“We had a river of water and mud and sludge come through the farm in, kind of, epic proportions,” Gammon said in an interview. “We had about 18 inches to two feet of water running through the farm.”
The western Wanship farm is owned by Blue Sky Ranch. It’s less than an acre in size on the south side of Old Lincoln Highway, attached to Blue Sky’s equine rescue facility and downhill from the rest of the resort’s property.
Gammon said hot and dry conditions have killed vegetation in the area, which loosened up the topsoil and created the conditions for a muddy, monsoon-fueled flash flood.
The staff at Gracie’s — named for the first horse Blue Sky’s owners rescued — are clearing out the mud to assess the damage.
The small farm sells produce at a store on site and ships it to 31 subscribers through its community-supported agriculture program. It also furnishes ingredients for Blue Sky’s chefs and special events.
Gammon estimated Gracie’s lost $10,000 worth of crops, including the farm’s carrot beds and lettuce. The greenhouse was flooded, as well as the open-air planters.
“We will not know about some of our longer-season crops like tomatoes and cucumbers,” Gammon said. “We're waiting for those roots to give us an idea of what's going on under the soil: how saturated they were, how covered, how smothered they were.”
But Gracie’s has also seen a deluge of community support online — almost 100 comments on Instagram as of Monday.
“I mean, it brings me to tears because we really are feeling the love from the local community — and from those far away,” Gammon said.
For those who want to lend a helping hand, besides patronizing Blue Sky’s farm store, Gammon said the farm will be organizing volunteer clean-ups. Gracie’s Farm will put out information about when and how to volunteer on its website and social media.
