Planting seeds of hope Non-profit organization seeding fields for sick farmer By ELOISE OGDEN Regional Editor ( FOXHOLM - Any clouds of worry over getting the crop in this spring on their farm officially lifted for Tom and Margie Ahmann when Farm Rescue volunteers arrived and equipment rolled into the Ahmann farmyard Thursday afternoon. The Ahmanns, who farm northeast of Foxholm, were selected by Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization helping farmers, as one of the first farm families for Farm Rescue to help get their crop in this spring. Tom Ahmann has health problems and currently is taking treatments for cancer. This is the fourth farm in North Dakota that volunteers with the grassroots organization have been to this spring to seed crops for farmers who are having difficult times experiencing a major illness, injury or an act of nature that has caused undue financial hardship.
On Thursday afternoon, Bill Gross, who heads the organization, and Farm Rescue volunteer Bill Krumwiede of Voltaire, arrived at the Ahmann farm. Others to help will arrive in time for the seeding planned for today and Saturday. The day before, Farm Rescue finished seeding 630 acres of wheat at Dodge for Kevin and Connie Sailer. Kevin Sailer suffered a severe injury to his head in a horse-riding accident. Gross, who grew up on a farm at "Nobody heard of it last year and now we’re helping farmers," said Gross, rather proudly. The organization is comprised entirely of volunteers from its board of directors, equipment operators and field support personnel, to marketing support and fund raising and technical assistance people. Since about mid-April, Farm Rescue volunteers have also put in crops for Emil and Bobbie Fandrich of Richardton (about 500 acres of wheat) and Matt and Laura Biel of Lefor (1,000 acres of wheat). Gross said a farm has to be a viable operation to qualify for assistance through Farm Rescue. Tom Ahmann, who is 69, said he has been farming all his life. He said there will be about 600 acres to be seeded to wheat. Ahmann supplies the seed and fertilizer and Farm Rescue supplies the equipment and manpower. That’s the way the program works. Fuel for the planting is based on the financial situation of the farmers, Gross said. He said they are using biodiesel as a fuel source. Each farm family chosen for Farm Rescue is limited to 1,000 seeded acres, but all the planting is free of charge.
The Ahmanns' daughter, Nancy Mickelson, submitted her dad's name to Farm Rescue. She said she met Gross at a local ag show where Farm Rescue had a booth. "I thought it was a neat idea," said Mickelson, who works for Vocational Rehabilitation in "My dad has been battling cancer and he's just not up to par," Mickelson said. When she asked her parents if it would be OK to apply for Farm Rescue to do the spring seeding for them, she said they felt someone "more in need" could use it than them. But she said they finally agreed to let her apply to Farm Rescue. Farm Rescue's board of directors goes over the applications and determines who receives assistance. All information for the application is kept confidential, Gross said. When her parents received word that they had been selected for Farm Rescue, Mickelson said it was "like a huge stress relieved, and it has to be for everyone." Farm Rescue uses donations to pay for the expenses associated with planting the crops. Labor for operating the equipment is provided by the Farm Rescue volunteers. The four primary equipment operators are Gross; Krumwiede, Jack Limke, of the Gross said it's the volunteers who play a large part in making the program happen. He then noted a favorite quote of Krumwiede when they talk about helping a farmer or needing to get the work done. "He always says, 'We'll get it done,' " Gross said. Gross said they've been making good progress this spring as they go from one farm to another. "We've been completing about 300 to 400 acres a day, which is actually a lot," he said. The program has a number of sponsors helping them, including RDO Equipment Co., a John Deere dealership which is the exclusive equipment sponsor of the program, Gross said. He said RDO is supplying all the equipment, its transportation and maintenance free of charge.
For a full list of sponsors, check Farm Rescue's Web site at (www.farmrescue.org). After finishing the seeding on the Ahmann farm, scheduled for today and Saturday, Farm Rescue will move to the Lowell and Debi Hartvikson farm near After that, Farm Rescue goes to the Kelly Smeltzer farm in the Cando area to seed about 600 acres of wheat. Smeltzer was seriously injured while camping when a tree fell on him during a storm which hit the area last year. After that, Farm Rescue volunteers have two farms in the Gross said they are short about $2,500 for the work this year but eight farm families have firm commitments that Farm Rescue will seed their crops this spring, and two more farms will be done if money is available. The goal now is to complete the spring planting, but Gross said if they can, they would like to help a different group of farm families during harvest. Gross has been asked about holding a Farm Rescue concert in For more information about Farm Rescue, including eligibility requirements, application or donation forms, sponsorships and to become a Farm Rescue volunteer, visit its Web site at (www.farmrescue.org) or e-mail: info@farmrescue.org. People can also call toll-free 888-267-9096 or write: Farm Rescue, Reprinted with permission of Tim Krumwiede, left, and his father, Bill Krumwiede, rear, prepare for a Farm Rescue seeding as Foxholm farmer Tom Ahmann and Bill Gross, Farm Rescue founder, visit. Bill Gross presents a Farm Rescue certificate to Foxholm area farmer Tom Ahmann Thursday. Ahmann's wife Margie, and their grandson, Chance Mickelson, 2, are beside him.
