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FOSTER COUNTY INDEPENDENT By Leasa A. Lura National Volunteer Week may be past, but the volunteering keeps on going on and on, not only in hospitals, but rural farmers’ fields as well. On Tuesday, May 9, a new volunteer organization stepped up to help one of our own. Jeff Bata of eastern Foster County recently injured one of his eyes while working in his shop and ended up with a piece of metal sticking out of his retina. Having an eye injury of this magnitude makes it very hard for a farmer to get his spring planting done. Needless to say, Bata was in need of assistance in the worst way, but was lucky enough to be one of the ten farmers in N.D. who will be receiving help this spring from a newly formed organization called Farm Rescue. Farm Rescue is the brainchild of it’s founder Bill Gross who used $20,000.00 of his own money to start the organization. Gross. Who is a pilot for UPS, said that as a kid growing up on a farm in N.D. he understands the challenges of making a living on a family farm. “In recent times it has become increasingly difficult for farmers to make a living and some may require help to save the family farm in a time of crisis. “Farm Rescue is a nonprofit organization which is operated entirely by volunteers who receive no compensation. We have no payroll. I have taken an unpaid leave of absence and I am using all my vacation time to be able to help these farmers in need of assistance. “We usually have four to six volunteers who operate the equipment and RDO Equipment Co. has generously loaned one of their new 9520 tractors to get the job done right. This tractor uses more than 300 gallons of fuel per day and unselfishly, Farmers Gross said he stays with relatives or with the family he’s assisting to avaoid the expense of renting a motel. “I am one of the equipment operators. I get out there and help as the other volunteers do. We operate 24 hours per day until the fields are planted. I always take the 9:00 pm to 6:00 am shift. “Here at Jeff Bata’s farm we planted six hundred acres. We started on Saturday and we are finishing up today.” Along with Gross, the volunteers on Bata’s farm include fellow pilot Jack Limke from the Minot area, retired farmer Joe Dethlefsen from Oakes, N.D. and Bill Krumwiede from Voltaire, N.D. Gross said that they spent time in 2005 going to farm shows and letting media know about the organization. “We started planting in the western part of the state and after jeff’s farm we will be helping Kelly Smeltzer of Cando plant his fields. Gross said that he isn’t part of deciding who receives assistance. “We have a board of directors who review the applications and together they decide who is most in need. Our board of directors consists of an NDSU Extension Agent and Farm Service Agent in Gross said that farmers who are in financial trouble because of mismanagement will not be helped. Farm Rescue operations are made possible by donations from individuals, small businesses and corporations that support the tradition of independent family farmers, strong rural economies and a stable future in agriculture for the youth of N.D. For more information, contact Farm Rescue at 701-526-0947 or log on to www.farmrescue.org Reprinted with permission of the |