us farm scene farm rescue 110809
On the homepage
Afghanistan
Out There
Music
Television
Nonprofit comes to injured farmers' rescue during harvest, sends volunteers to bring in crops
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on Digg
Minnesota business by the numbers
See Minnesota's top earning companies, CEOs and non-profits
More from Business
YPSILANTI, N.D. - A broken pelvis and injured knee nearly put an end to North Dakota farmer Dustin Lien's harvest, but a group that helps injured farmers and the families of those who have died came to his aid.
Farm Rescue sent volunteers to help bring in Lien's soybeans after he was crushed between a tractor and a pickup in July.
"We don't know where we'd be without them," said Lien, one of 35 family farmers helped by the group this year. "Probably with beans under snow."
Farm Rescue has come to the aid of 100 farm families in just four years — a number that surprises even its founder.
"I knew it would happen," founder and president Bill Gross said. "I just didn't think it would come this quickly. If we didn't have the volunteers and the sponsors, it wouldn't happen at all."
Farm Rescue helps plant and harvest small grains and soybeans on family farms affected by an injury or death. Volunteers are still working on two farms but expect to finish the fall harvest by mid-month. Applications for help with spring planting will be accepted from Jan. 1 to March 15.
Lien of Ypsilanti said he had expected to be back in his cab by harvest time.
"Then, the day before the application to Farm Rescue was due, a specialist told me I wouldn't be farming for four to six months," he said. "We filled out the forms pretty quickly."
Neighbors had helped Lien and his wife, Lucinda, harvest their small grains earlier in the fall. But the couple didn't think they could impose again.
"Right now, all the farmers around here are harvesting soybeans," Lien said. "You can't ask a neighbor to stop his harvest to help you."
The Liens' application was one of 85 applications Farm Rescue received for work this year. It was able to help 35 — one less than last year.
"With economic times, funding is down a bit," said Gross, whose group covers volunteers' meals and lodging. "And this has been a bad harvest season due to the weather. Our expenses are up as well."
Next year, he said, the groups to help as many farmers or more.
___
On the Net:
Farm Rescue: http://www.farmrescue.org.
___
Information from: The Jamestown Sun, http://www.jamestownsun.com
Recent Business stories
Treasury bond prices move off their lows after investors readily buy up $32B in 7-year notes - November 9, 2009
Treasury bond prices move off their lows after investors readily buy up $32B in 7-year notes - Treasury prices mainly rose Wednesday after a strong auction for seven-year notes. Bond prices had slumped earlier in the day on rising stocks and upbeat reports on the economy. More
- Bargains, necessities cram carts of Black Friday shoppers in Twin Cities
- Dubai requests 'standstill' on $60B debt
- Ponzi scheme suspect liked cars -- and his submarine
- 2 charged with running $190M Ponzi scheme
- Shoppers got a turkey deal
- China executes 2 for role in tainted milk scandal
- Pop-up shops fill short-term niche
Blog: Patent Pending
Lights out at U energy conference. Irony police notified.
Just as Lawrence Kazmerski, a top official at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was about to give the keynote address at the University of Minnesota's annual E3 conference at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, the lights went out, bathing the audience in darkness and a deep sense of irony.
Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments