# Prayer for a friend please! *UPDATED*



## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Not sure if this needed to go in OT or not. If so, will you move it for me Mods? Thanks

Anyway, I just wanted to ask for prayer for a good friend of mine, Ben Buskohl. Last Thursday Ben, who had a commercial goat dairy, lost his barn and almost all of his animals to a fire. Only 5 of his 80-100 goats (mostly Nubians and Nubian crosses) survived. Ben is in his 60's doesn't have any family and is not real well physically. The goats were his life. He had just purchased a milking machine as his hands finally told him he could NOT milk 35-40 does 2x per day by hand any more. He spent about 16-18 hours a day in the barn. We don't know what caused the fire yet. Ben was in the hospital for the night after the fire because of smoke inhalation but seemed to recover from that alright. 
I talked with him on Friday night and cried plenty. He was doing o.k. at that point but is now very sick. The stress was/is just too much for his body. Poor man kept saying 'It's all gone Eliya, it's all gone!' He told me about the two sets of triplets (one with all doelings) that were born the day before the fire, the 18 kids that were born since Oct 1st and all died in the fire, about the 4 year old little boy and his 22 yr old dad who owned a number of the goats that were lost in the fire and how there is nothing left of all 30 years of careful breeding (besides 2 cull bucks and 3 cull does that were out of the barn because they were going to leave soon). He broke up pretty good when he told me about having 6 or 7 generations of home-bred 'V+' and 'E' goats and how he'll never be able to have that again as he doesn't have that many years left. I am also hoping that we can find some of the goats he has sold so he can have some of his old bloodlines back. I know it won't be the same but he needs to have at least some goats again.
Please pray that he will be o.k. physically and that he would have peace about what to do now.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

That is so very sad.  I hope you can track down some of his lines he has sold and get him a start again.


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## Drycreek goats (Sep 8, 2009)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

praying!!!


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

:down


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

Oh Dear :down our hearts are on the ground for him :sniffle. We will pray for him and the little boy and his Dad. What a horrid horrid thing to have happen. I truly hope there are some of his animals he can retrieve. 
Tam and Linds.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with him. Let us know if we can help with tracing his lines or anything


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

That is so incredibly horrible. That poor man. I feel so bad for him.


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## Ozark Lady (Mar 21, 2010)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

We lost our home and everything in it in 2008, so I can identify with this. The smoke got us too, we were in bed asleep and woke up to an inferno! But, nothing died in the fire, and we were not seriously hurt. But, about 2 weeks later, I came down with sinus infections etc. And the stress really took a toll on me for about a year!

Yes, getting some of his bloodlines back will help, as will rebuilding. But, it just will never be the same.

We will all lift him up in prayer. But, the very best thing you can do is: Be there for him, even on the days that he is grouchy and difficult due to dealing with this issue. Keep him involved in goats somewhere, even if as "resident expert". Don't let him just throw in the towel and quit, if you do... he will die.

This is tough, because goats become family members, and you love them. And also his whole life's work was tied into this. How terrible! :down


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

So sorry to hear such a sad story. Someone once told me we are all just one bad day away from being out of goats. This was after we had an incredible predator attack. I cannot imagine how he must feel-I was a nervous wreck of a zombie for a year. What can be done to help? 
Hoping he will have nearby owners that rise to the occasion and make his spring joyful.
You could all find someone locally who would be kidding his line of goats and take up a collection to buy some kids. He could have babies to cheer him and help the healing.
Hope things look up for him soon. That idea from MaryAnn about resident expert is a good one. I bet it would help to keep him goat busy once he feels better.


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## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

I am so sorry to hear about his fire. I wish there was something I could do. I will pray for him and the others involved. You are a good friend to care so much for this gentleman. He is blessed to have you! If he still is in need of goats in the spring I will donate a doeling to him. I'm not too far away from Wisconsin.

He is in my thoughts and prayers.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

This is so sad. I will keep him in my prayers. I, too would be willing to donate a spring kid if there were some way to get one from Montana to Wisconsin.


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## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

I know it wouldn't be the same, but I'd gladly donate a doeling to him also come spring. My son lost his home to a fire almost two years ago, so we understand the loss. I am so sorry about the goats. What an incredibly horrible thing to face. He is on our prayer list, we will bring him up before the Father.

Tamera


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

Can we get a list of some sort on his lines, maybe some of us have their offspring living near us and can help out. This will take some doing but can be done.


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

Poor man! I will keep him in my prayers. :sniffle


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

My heart goes out to him. Maybe we can get a fundraiser auction started at www.cometothefarm.com? They do benifit auctions and you can donate everything from goats to miscellaneous items that have nothing to do with goats. The proceeds go to the person the auction is for.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

I will be donating when an auction for him is set up. 
Someone here has to know where some of his goats went to, or maybe they have them . Please do get us his lines. We can span this out on FB as well to get even a broader audience?
Tam


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## Hearts In Dixie (Oct 29, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

Thank you Eliya for posting this. We are a great group of goat people here and if we can't do anything else we can pray for his health and healing. We can pray for him to be restored in his health so he can be in a barn with goats. He must be an awesome man to love his goaties that much. Please keep us updated on him. It would be wonderful to find his bloodlines and give him that much back at the very least.

Thanks,
Marla


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## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

awww. so sad for this situation. praying as well....keep us posted..


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

Thanks everyone! Sorry I haven't been on here much!

We are getting an auction set up at Come to the Farm. Just waiting to hear back from them.

His farm name is Les Serrettes. I know he would love to get a few milkers yet this fall (he has a carport that he has the 5 surviving animals in) and hopes to get more by spring. He does prefer Nubians and wants them to be CAE free (of course ).

I will let you know as soon as CTTF has the auction set up and we have links to it. From the website it looks like it can take 2 weeks to get the auction set up (they have to work on it between their paying jobs).


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## Little Moon (Dec 29, 2007)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

Prayers being said please give him an extra hug from me - Anne


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

How does it work if you wish tp donate a goat that isn't born yet on CTTF? Sorry not meaning to hi-jack, just have kids to place next year and would LOVE to donate one from Soldier-Mtn Freelance Tallis x Soldier-Mtn SMB Loralei and one from Soldier-Mtn Freelance Tallis x Soldier-Mtn Emi-N-May. These will be worthy animals to place on CTTF.
Tam


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: Prayer for a friend please!*

I'm not sure. I would guess that would be pretty do-able though as long as you had some kind of money back if no kids are born or something. Maybe someone with more experience in this area can chime in.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Update:
Ben seems to be doing pretty well considering. He is definitely not going to get out of goats. He is looking forward to having more goats in the near future. He does have one doe that kidded premies right after the fire (sired by his prized buck that he lost in the fire) but all three doelings were too premature to live. :sniffle But at least he has some milk. The doe is producing a little (about 1 cup a day) even though the kids were so premature. He's hoping he can bring her into more milk as he can hardly live without goat milk. He's also hoping to find a few more milkers this fall.
We do have a trust fund set up for him now and are working on the benefit auction. If anyone would like to donate money to help Ben get started in goats again, here is the contact info for contributing to the fund:
ATTN: Rod Turner
Bloomer Chamber
P.O. Box 273
Bloomer, WI 54724

I will let you know as soon as ComeToTheFarm.com has the benefit auction ready to go.


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

To donate un-born kids on CTTF you donate a kid "gift certificate" for either a buck or doe kid or a certain amount like $250 toward the purchase of a kid or winning bidders choice of a buck or doe kid from certain breedings. 

Let us know when it is set up, I want to see what up for auction!!! Also would like to donate.


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## dawnwinddg (Aug 29, 2010)

My brother and I used to show with, and sometimes for, Ben. He was always such a great guy. Very helpful and interesting, and that was several years ago. I am heartsick for him. Goats really are his life. Eliya, will you pass on greetings and sympathies from Frances & Arthur, please?


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Sure thing Frances!


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## LMonty (Oct 25, 2007)

eliya, if we can figure out how to get it there, (I'm in NW AR) I may be able to donate a spring Nubian kid too. I won't commit yet because I am afraid to count my kids before they are hatched! 

I've got 2 Godiva grand daughters bred to a Royal Blue (Kastademur top and bottom) buck that may make milky kids, and two does (bred to a Pruittville buck) who are Santa's Little Helper daughters who comes from Santa Cruz, another milking breed leader. IF that would work with his bloodlines?


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## MiddleRiver (Oct 30, 2007)

I will be watching for the benefit auction for sure. My heart goes out to Ben, what a horrible tragedy. We will keep him in our thoughts.

I also would like to say that we might be going from WI to ID and back again spring 2011. It's not for sure by all means yet, but if we do and somebody wants to donate a kid(s) to him but lives along our way(or could meet us on our route) we would be more than willing to transport. CAE/CL clean and healthy herds of course :+)


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

LMonty said:


> eliya, if we can figure out how to get it there, (I'm in NW AR) I may be able to donate a spring Nubian kid too. I won't commit yet because I am afraid to count my kids before they are hatched!
> 
> I've got 2 Godiva grand daughters bred to a Royal Blue (Kastademur top and bottom) buck that may make milky kids, and two does (bred to a Pruittville buck) who are Santa's Little Helper daughters who comes from Santa Cruz, another milking breed leader. IF that would work with his bloodlines?


Thank you! I think that will work fine with his bloodlines. At this point he is rebuilding. The few that escaped the fire were the ones he had pulled out as culls so I think he's only keeping one or two of them. He does have a few kids on the way from different herds. There are potential kids from a daughter of SGCH +*B Lakeshore-Farms Star Status (Status' daughters took 1st place Sr. Get of Sire at the 2010 Nationals). So those are the only bloodlines that I know are planned to be a part of his herd.

There is potential transport being worked out for a 'goat train' bringing kids (from the above listed doe in OH and a MiniNubian doeling from KY) from KY/OH to Ben's place in WI. I think the only part of the route that we don't have covered so far is mid Indiana to the WI border. I'm guessing the timing for this will be end of May or beginning of June but I don't know yet. Maybe there would be a way to have your kids join the train. I think most of the details will have to be worked out closer to the transport dates, but at least there are lots of possibilities.



MiddleRiver said:


> I will be watching for the benefit auction for sure. My heart goes out to Ben, what a horrible tragedy. We will keep him in our thoughts.
> 
> I also would like to say that we might be going from WI to ID and back again spring 2011. It's not for sure by all means yet, but if we do and somebody wants to donate a kid(s) to him but lives along our way(or could meet us on our route) we would be more than willing to transport. CAE/CL clean and healthy herds of course :+)


Thank you for the offer, I will keep you in mind for transport - if the trip happens for you. 

Will post soon about the auction.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Thanks again everyone. We finally have the benefit auction up and running. Here is the link:
http://www.cometothefarm.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi?action=subcat&category=catp_main


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## burnettrracer (Jan 20, 2011)

I know i'm pretty far away, but i will contribute to if needed.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

That's one of the nice things about the auction is that it doesn't matter where you are located, you can still help.


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## VickiLynne (Feb 8, 2008)

I feel for him and the young father with the little boy. My prayers are with them.

Vicki in NC


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## Legend Hills (May 29, 2008)

Is Ben doing well? Has he been able to start building a barn yet? What a nightmare. I'm so very glad the auction is up now.


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## cstafford (May 30, 2010)

I just went to CTTF and there isn't anything to bid on???


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## Legend Hills (May 29, 2008)

cstafford said:


> I just went to CTTF and there isn't anything to bid on???


I noticed this too. Perhaps they are collecting donation for it at this time. That is what I concluded when I saw that. Or it is still being organized.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

No one has donated to the auction yet. As soon as we have some donors, there will be the option of bidding on them (anyone can donate). I am going to post a few things, just haven't had a chance yet. This is the link to donate an item to the auction: http://www.cometothefarm.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi?action=uploadselect Select Ben Buskohi as the auction you wish to donate to.

Kimberly, He hasn't made it to church (where I usually see him) the last few weeks so I'm not sure how he is doing right now. Last time I talked with him there was some trouble with insurance - you can imagine how insurance companies could be a pain after a fire! I think he did start building the barn or at least has things lined up to start. He does have a few goats now so that helps him a lot. He makes the BEST goat milk fudge. I don't eat sugar, but when Ben brings fudge... I can't resist!


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