We have seen it before: A tragedy takes place on the farm during harvest, and all operations shut down. During harvest it is essential to tend to the crops at just the right time to capitalize on the highest potential yield and return on investments. So what happens when your operations are down due to an accident? In the farming community, oftentimes your neighbors step up and lend a helping hand. That is exactly what happened to Lane Unhjem of North Dakota.
Last week, Lane Unhjem was in the middle of wheat harvest when, unfortunately, his combine caught on fire. While fighting a fire is a stressful situation for any farmer, in the commotion of everything, Unhjem suffered from a heart attack and had to be flown to Minot, North Dakota, to receive help. However, that is not the only help he would receive. His friends and neighbors stepped up to help him during this hardship.
According to KFYR-TV, “Neighbors, friends, and family brought 11 combines, 6 grain carts, and 15 semis to get Unhjem’s Durum Wheat and Canola in the bin.”
The harvest crew was able to coordinate and figure out their plan to help out Unhjem in the best way possible. In just seven hours, the crew was able to finish harvest of the 1,000 remaining acres of wheat and canola for Unhjem and his family.
On Facebook, Don Anderson said, “The Unhjems have a beautiful crop that will be safe in the bins today, and more importantly they have the comfort of knowing that they have a community of friends that are helping, praying and doing whatever they can to help them get through this tough time. What a great sense of pride we can all have knowing that when we face something like this, we’re not alone. Kudos to all those that helped today.”
Although in stable condition, Unhjem still has a long road of recovery ahead.
