Michigan farmer finds scrap metal, aluminum tied to cornstalks in 3 fields

BAY CITY, Michigan (WNEM) — A local farmer estimates he lost between $500,000-$800,000 in feed after someone tied pieces of scrap metal and aluminum to corn stalks meant to feed cattle.

Bay County Sheriff Troy Cunningham said deputies were called to the farmer’s fields on Sept. 22 after the metal was noticed while harvesting silage.

Cunningham said the farmer has three fields, two in Bay County and one in Arenac County. While harvesting parts of the three fields, about 1,000 acres of corn, they discovered the metal had been shredded into fine pieces in the silage chopper.

Cunningham said the farmer has about 3,000-4,000 head of cattle, and if they had eaten the corn with the metal shavings, they would have been severely injured, or possibly died. But Cunningham stressed the metal was discovered before it was fed to the animals.

There have been no arrests in the malicious destruction of property. If you have any information, call the Bay County Sheriff’s Office at 989-895-4077 or Crime Stoppers.