Matt Biel repairs equipment for the farm in Lefor, N.D. Matt says he can do nearly everything he did before an auger accident earlier this year took his lower right arm. He is hoping to be able to get another prosthesis which will work better for fine motor skills. Photo by Sue Roesler. 

Farm Rescue founder pleased with first year

By Sue Roesler, Farm and Ranch Guide
Thursday, October 12, 2006 12:55 PM CDT

Recovering from farm accidents and other serious illnesses doesn't always mean the same thing for producers as it might for the “average guy.”

There's little time for bed rest between the planting, the spraying, the feeding and the harvesting, along with about a million other duties that go along with being a full time farmer and rancher. Even if the doctor recommends taking it slow, for producers, it's often a case of getting right “back in the saddle again.”

Producer Kelly Smeltzer of Cando, N.D., was out harvesting recently even though he suffered major injuries involving his spinal cord and left arm after a tree fell on top of him while he was camping in summer 2005.

On Father's Day, a spring storm packing 55 mph winds blew through a Walhalla, N.D., park and downed a tree that was 2-foot in diameter that hit the top of Smeltzer's tent, pinning him inside. Rescue workers had to use chain saws and a payloader to free him.

Smeltzer said the recovery process hasn't been easy and he isn't back to speed yet, but the farm work wouldn't wait.

“I had to learn to walk all over again. But hey, farming is some of the best rehabilitation you can have. There's nothing like getting active as soon as you can,” he says with a laugh. “I gained a lot of strength in my arm (working the fields).”

Over a year later he still has little use of his left arm, although he occasionally feels some “tingling” in it.

Fortunately for Smeltzer and nine other North Dakota producers, Farm Rescue pitched in with spring seeding and that has been key to all of them harvesting a crop this season.

An all-volunteer farm assistance program in its first year of operation, Farm Rescue planted from 400 to 1,000 acres for each producer.

Using equipment, services and fuel donated from many businesses, Farm Rescue volunteers planted spring wheat, soybeans, or other crops for the farmers - whatever could be done in the short planting window seeding allows.

Founder Bill Gross, a UPS pilot who grew up on a Cleveland, N.D., farm, said the new program is based on the “neighbor helping neighbor” idea, only on a “bigger scale.”

Gross says Farm Rescue intends to help more producers and will also assist with the harvesting next year.

“Everything turned out as planned this year or was even better than we expected,” says Gross. “All 10 producers had average or above average yields from the crops Farm Rescue seeded. In Ashley, it was hot and dry, but the crop in the Willow City area for the producer there was bringing in some 55 to 65 bushels per acre. It all turned out great.”

Smeltzer said the volunteers planted 450 acres of his spring wheat, and he and his dad planted the other two-thirds.

“We had in the upper 30 bushels per acre from the wheat,” he added.

While Smeltzer's canola crops turned out poor due to the intense heat this summer and the flax was down a bit, his wheat and barley looked good, he said.

Smeltzer is looking forward to getting more use of his arm. Doctors grafted a nerve from his leg into his arm, and eventually, he will regain more use of it.

“There's no pain, but I can't lift anything with it,” Smeltzer said.

Another producer, Matt Biel of Lefor, N.D., has been out combining, driving truck and doing all the farm work he did before he lost his lower right arm in an auger accident in February.

After Farm Rescue planted 1,000 acres of his spring wheat, he and his dad planted the rest of the wheat and the other crops.

Just recently, he and his dad were hauling hay and repairing equipment while they waited for the buckwheat to be ready for harvest. Biel expertly hoists himself up on the back of a trailer, pulls the welding helmet down, and turns the welder on to work on repairs.

He says he can do most of the same things he did before the accident, but his prosthesis that takes the place of his right hand and lower arm is not able to do fine motor tasks. Biel is waiting to see if his insurance company will pay for a better prosthesis.

He says the spring wheat Farm Rescue planted for him turned out to be in the ��-bushel” area. While the Lefor region was hard hit by drought this year, and most of Biel's later seeded crop wasn't as good, the spring wheat looked great. Matt was the first producer helped by Farm Rescue, and that gave him an edge he wouldn't have had otherwise.

“Anything planted early was pretty good,” Biel said, adding, “Without Farm Rescue, we wouldn't have gotten the entire crop in.”

He plants spring wheat, durum, field peas, buckwheat, and safflower. His durum was coming out in a wide range, from 20 to 40 bushels an acre.

Biel is getting ready for fall work. He plans to do some soil sampling and spraying. Since 1999, Biel has used liquid fertilizer because it is easier to handle and he can blend what he needs to use back on the farm.

Matt and Laura Biel sent a letter of thanks to Farm Rescue earlier this month, and Gross said it meant a lot to him and all the volunteers.

Other producers helped by Farm Rescue say their acres are bringing in average to better than average yields.

Charles Loll of Wahpeton, N.D., said he is just beginning to harvest and hasn't taken off the soybean crop that Farm Rescue seeded for him yet.

“But it looks pretty good,” Loll said. He farms with his two brothers, dad and grandfather.

Loll suffered a serious back injury in a farm accident when a piece of metal struck his back in February, and was actually in a wheelchair when Farm Rescue arrived at his farm in the spring.

He has had surgery and is grateful to be getting around as well as he is.

“I doubt I'll ever be 100 percent, but I'm doing pretty good,” Loll says. Since that time, he too has been recovering while still driving tractor and doing a myriad of other duties on the farm.

Producer Jeff Bata of Kensal, N.D., has gone through three eye surgeries this year while also farming around the clock. A piece of steel went through the retina in his eye while he was working in his farm shop, and he is now awaiting a corneal transplant. His vision remains blurry.

“Everything went so fast last spring. I couldn't keep up with the seeding, but Farm Rescue helped. I met a lot of good volunteers, great volunteers. I couldn't have done it (the seeding) without them,” Bata said.

He said he was nearly finished with his soybean harvesting.

Bata planted barley, flax, spring wheat, sunflowers and soybeans this year. His wheat and barley crops were “excellent, considering it was a dry year - very good corps.”

His flax is poor because of the drought and the soybean crop is down to about 15-25 bushels. Last year, the soybeans brought in some 40-45 bushels/acres, he added.

Farm Rescue used no-till on the farms and that preserved some of the soil moisture that otherwise would have been lost, Bata said. Without the no-till, the soybean crop would have been a disaster.

In addition to the Farm Rescue volunteers, Bata said he wants to thank his eye doctor, Dr. Grube of Bismarck, who he calls “the absolute best.” Bata credits Dr. Grube for saving his eyesight. “He's so conscientious.”

Other North Dakota producers who were helped by Farm Rescue included: Emil Fandrich, Richardton; Kevin Sailer, Dodge; Tom Ahmann, Foxholm; Lowell Hartvickson, Willow City; Dewayne Heil, Ashley; and Brian Hardy, Walhalla.

Unfortunately, Fandrich passed away from a heart attack recently, unrelated to the combine accident he was in last winter. His spring wheat crop that was partially seeded by Farm Rescue was reportedly harvested by neighbors for his wife, Bobbie.

Gross said Farm Rescue donations continue to come in on a daily basis from businesses, individuals, and groups. RDO Equipment Co. plans to loan out use of the John Deere equipment again for the 2007 season.

“We're continuing to raise funds and awareness,” Gross said.

Gross was pleased that Farm Rescue was recently recognized by N.D. Gov. John Hoeven with a proclamation that the organization had made a significant contribution to agriculture in the state, and he received a letter from U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad congratulating the all-volunteer organization.

In 2007, more UPS pilots and some of the management will be ready to assist Gross with the planting and harvesting. Many other volunteers will return and more are always needed, he said.

Helping disabled or injured producers depends on volunteers and donations, Gross added. If you would like to donate to Farm Rescue, log on to the website at http://www.farmrescue.org .

He added Farm Rescue will be taking applications for spring planting 2007 from Jan. 1 to March 15, 2007.

“Farmers that have experienced a major illness or injury are urged to submit an application,” Gross said. Farm Rescue's phone number is 701-526-0947.

Reprinted with permission of Farm and Ranch Guide.  October 12, 2006