Lending a helping hand

By Jonathan Knutson, The Forum
Published Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Kensal, ND.

Jeff Bata had a little trouble seeing his fields, but he clearly recognized who his friends were. A piece of metal shot into the Kensal farmer’s left eye last fall when he was working with farm tools, so doctors didn’t want him planting his crop this spring.

But even with his imperfect eyesight, Bata watched Farm Rescue volunteers plant his fields earlier this week.

“This is a godsend,” said a beaming Bata.

The nonprofit Farm Rescue organization, believed to be the only one of its kind in the nation, is helping sick and injured North Dakota farmers plant their crops. Farm Rescue – which has about 20 volunteers and 25 sponsors – provides the fuel, equipment and manpower, all free of charge. The farmers provide their own seed and fertilizer.

Bata, who farms about 120 miles northwest of Fargo-Moorhead, is the sixth of nine farmers to be helped.

Farm Rescue, launched this year, received and evaluated 16 applications from across the state before picking 10 farmers to help. Bad weather and scheduling problems later forced the organization to drop one. Though its name might suggest otherwise, Farm Rescue isn’t trying to help farmers with financial problems, said Bill Gross, the organization’s founder.

“Our mission is to help farmers who are hurt or have serious health problems and can’t plant their crop this spring,” he said. Agriculture is one of the nation’s riskiest occupations, with more than 700 farmers killed and 120,000 injured in work-related accidents each year, according to federal figures.

“Farm Rescue is a pretty neat idea. Farmers do get hurt,” said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, who has met several times with Gross.

Fargo-based RDO Equipment Co. provides tractors and other equipment. “It’s an innovative program that gives us an opportunity to help those farmers in North Dakota who are in need of a little help,” said Keith Kreps, vice president of store operations for RDO Equipment Co.

Many of the volunteers are retired farmers or former North Dakota farm kids now grown and living out of state.

“For me, this is a working vacation,” said Jack Limke, a pilot and Carpio native who lives in Louisville, Ky. “I’m just glad to be able to help,” said Limke, one of the volunteers at Bata’s farm.

Retired Oakes farmer Joe Dethlefsen also was among the Farm Rescue volunteers helping Bata. “I know how much it means for farmers to get help when they need it,” Dethlefsen said.

It’s traditional in farming communities for neighbors to help each other when needed. But as farms get bigger and farmers grow fewer, that’s less likely to happen, said Emil Fandrich, who farms near Richardton. Fandrich, who lost part of an arm in a farm accident last fall, was helped by Farm Rescue earlier this spring. “It’s a program that fills a need. It deserves to continue,” he said.

Gross said Farm Rescue still involves neighbor helping neighbor. “No, it’s not a neighbor living a few miles away. But it’s still North Dakotans helping other North Dakotans,” he said. The 39-year-old Gross, who grew up on a farm near Cleveland, N.D., lives in Seattle and flies freight across the Pacific for UPS. He enjoys being a pilot, and has no desire to be a full-time farmer himself.

“But I like to be of service, and I know there are injured farmers who need help,” he said. He used free time at work and vacation to create the program and direct it this spring. “Some people might wonder, ‘What’s Farm Rescue’s angle?’ Well, we don’t have one – except to help farmers who need it,” he said. He hopes the program can expand.

Possibilities include helping injured farmers harvest their fields this fall and staging a concert to raise money.

The 48-year Bata has had several eye operations and expects to have a corneal transplant this fall. Though he’s optimistic about eventually returning full time to farming, spring planting was a huge concern.

“Farm Rescue took a huge load off my shoulders. I don’t know what I’d have done without them,” he said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jonathan Knutson at (701) 241-5530

How to help

Farm Rescue, which plants the crops of sick and injured farmers, is looking for donors, corporate sponsors and volunteers. For more information, go to www.farmrescue.org or call (701) 526-0947 or (888) 267-9096.

Reprinted with permission of the Fargo Forum.  May 10, 2006