Fire at Hardy Farm -- Friend Describes Horrific Loss

Firefighters at Hardy Farms. Photo by Kathryn Adams.

On Thursday night, a barn and office building at Hardy Farms in Tipton, Michigan were on fire. “The call came in at 11:44,” said Howard Kapp of the Sand Lake Fire Department. Multiple fire departments from neighboring towns pitched in to fight the blaze. It took about six hours to contain.

Hardy Farms is a dairy farm owned by Gregg Hardy, brother of Dee Ann Warner, who has been missing from her Lenawee County farm for over two years. Gregg, his wife Shelley, and son, Parker take pride in their Holstein cattle and are dedicated to producing the best quality dairy products on the market. Animal comfort is a top priority.

The fire destroyed the office and barn, but even worse, took the lives of over 20 cows – most of them pregnant. These cows were registered Holsteins. They were show cows, prized for their elite bloodlines.

The fire is estimated to have done one million dollars of damage.

Kathryn Adams, lifelong friend of the Hardy’s, was at Hardy Farms yesterday and saw the damage firsthand and talked to the state fire marshal briefly. Kathryn told me, “Any random person would not know there were show cows in that barn. It was obviously targeted. The fire wasn’t electrical. It wasn’t from spontaneous combustion from straw.”

The care the Hardy’s give to their show cows is extraordinary. “They literally pay people to walk those show cows every day,” Kathryn said. “They are hand milked. They are taken care of more than most people. To me, the fire was malicious. Those cows were the result of Gregg’s lifetime of work, and Parker’s too. They came from a lifetime of breeding and science.”

Kathryn said the two most important areas of the farm are now ruined. “The show barn and the office are the heart and soul of the operation.”

When Kathryn arrived at the scene, she was horrified by what she saw. “It was the worst thing I have ever witnessed. It was terrible, just heart-wrenching,” she said.

Kathryn confirmed there were security cameras in the area but was uncertain as to what the footage revealed.

It is unknown if the fire was deliberately set by an arsonist, but just last week, a vandal cut the mesh around 65 bales of the straw in their field, causing them extra work, hassle, and time. It took several people over 12 hours to undo the damage.

There has been an outpouring of support from the community. “A lot of people are offering to help. What we really need right now is prayers,” Kathryn said.

Last night, Parker Hardy told me, “We have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful helping souls today.”

Community members are what makes this area a great place to live. If you have any information on the vandalism of Hardy Farms last week or the recent fire, please call the Lenawee County Sheriff's Office at (517) 263-0524.