ND farmers finish neighbor’s harvest after heart attack

DIVIDE COUNTY, N.D. (KFYR) - Around 60 farmers in Divide County put their own harvesting on hold to cut 1,000 acres for a neighbor who suffered a heart attack after his combine caught fire last week.

Lane Unhjem was in the middle of harvesting when he went into cardiac arrest near Crosby, North Dakota.

Neighbors, friends, and family brought 11 combines, 6 grain carts, and 15 semis to get Unhjem’s Durum Wheat and Canola in the bin. When they heard about Unhjem’s situation last week, they immediately started coordinating an effort to help him out.

“I talked to a couple of farmers, got their equipment, and then other people just started calling and we had equipment offered from all over the place in the county, and their workers to go with it,” said family friend, Jenna Binde.

Those who assisted say letting the Unhjems' crops go unharvested would’ve been a big loss for the family, and helping out was just common sense.

“Everybody knows the Unhjems, and they’re good people and good in the community, and just kind of the farming way of life too. You help your neighbor out when they need it, and don’t expect anything in return”, added Binde.

Lane Unhjem was flown to Minot where he is in stable condition, but his family says he has a long road of recovery ahead.

It took only seven hours for the farmers to harvest the Unhjems' 1,000 acres of crops over the weekend.

Photos courtesy of Rodney Olin and Don Anderson

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