Third generation farmer Clay McKinnon, farms in Coffee and Atkinson counties with his father, Wayne. Together, they grow peanuts, cotton, corn, soybean and blueberries, along with poultry houses.

In this special Through the Eyes of a Farmer episode, Clay details the aftermath of Hurricane Helene where they experienced 125 mph winds and the destruction the storm caused at their farm. The McKinnon’s had 5 poultry houses, grain bins and equipment sheds destroyed, pivots turned over, debris in their fields, along with damage to their row crops, timber and blueberries. He estimates approximately $3 million worth of damage.

Clay had high hopes for this crop year back in the Spring. He says it is really disheartening to see all of that stripped away from you in a matter of 3 hours.

“However, I don’t think you will find anybody more resilient than the American farmer and we will continue to push forward,” Clay says. At the end of the day, he realizes that they need help. He hopes their will be funds in place to help them get back to where they need to be and push farmers forward to the next year.

“We are not asking for a handout. We are asking for help to push us forward to the next year. The storm broke our back, we are not asking for a new back. We just want the back we had fixed,” Clay says.