Farm Rescue Helps Wyndmere Farmer | Video

Cliff Naylor | 9/30/2012

Farm Rescue helps farmers all over the Midwest. Thanks to more than a thousand volunteers from across the country and corporate donations, the non-profit organization has helped a few hundred farmers in need.

When Dan Dotzenrod broke his neck last June in a farm accident, he had no idea how his crops would get cut, and could only hope for help when it was time to harvest.

In July, he and his wife Rose applied to Farm Rescue for help. Last week, volunteers from all over the country showed up to cut all 1,500 acres of the Dotzenrod`s corn and soybeans. The couple could only watch and count their blessings.

"It`s a great feeling. It`s a good crop out there, it`s nice to get it done and I really feed blessed to have so many people that are willing to help," Dan said.

William Rudolphi traveled to North Dakota from Champaign, Illinois, to lend a helping hand.

"I hired on to drive combine, auger wagon, or truck."

With the help of five other volunteers, the Dotzenrod`s crops were cut in less than a week.

"Most of our volunteers are actually from out of state, that may surprise some people, I would say they come from about 15 different states, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, and so on," Bill Gross said.

Gross grew up on a farm and founded Farm Rescue seven years ago. The Dotzenrod harvest is the non-profit organizations 45th project of the year and 200th since 2005.

"Every farm family that Farm Rescue helps is special. The first family to the 200th family, they all have a very unique case and have a crisis their dealing with," Gross said.

Farm Rescue plants and harvests crops free of charge for family farmers who suffered a major injury, or can`t farm due to an illness or natural disaster.

While the Dotzenrod`s corn and soybeans were being harvested, Farm Rescue volunteers were helping two other producers in Iowa and South Dakota harvest crops, and hope.

For more information on Farm Rescue visit the website FarmRescue.org.

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