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Farm Rescue comes to Barnes County |
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
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By Steve Browne
Brent Strand of Nome had a stroke at age 40, at one of the two worst possible
times of the year for a farmer - just before spring planting. He had help
from family and friends, but they have their own jobs. And though farmers are
always willing to help each other, planting and harvest come at the same time
for everyone. Enter Farm Rescue.
Farm Rescue volunteers worked from noon Thursday, May 15, to noon the
next day to plant 750 acres of soybeans on Strand's farm near Nome. “I
don't know who it was, they told me numerous people turned us in,” Strand
said. “Farm Rescue called and sent me an application, I sent it back in and
they told me I was accepted. We were getting way behind and it's taken a lot
of stress off. Anybody in need like that – it's a great place to call.” After
as much sleep as they could get, the crew went to Valley City to plant
another 400 acres for local farmer Stan Horst. After that, they'll be
planting 550 acres for Jack and Karen Lueck north of Spiritwood.
Horst works at the Barnes County courthouse as building and grounds
supervisor, and broke his leg between the knee and hip when he slipped on the
ice last winter.
“When my accident happened I had a lot of extra time to read the farm
papers. When I was going through the Farm and Ranch Guide I noticed this
article on Farm Rescue. So I got an application and sent it in, and lo and
behold a week later they told me I was accepted. That took a lot of worry off
my shoulders, and even made my leg feel better!” Horst said. By
the time planting season is over, Farm Rescue will have worked on 28 family
farms in North and South Dakota. That's double the number they helped their
first year of operation last year.
“Farm Rescue is for farmers who have a viable operation. We don't give
money out, it's not for farmers going bankrupt. It's for farmers who've had a
major injury or illness so they can maintain their livelihood,” said Bill
Gross, president of Farm Rescue. For full story, see
Monday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record. |
Printed with permission from Valley City Times-Record,
May 19, 2008.