It was the 2020 harvest season in LaGrange County, Ind., and leaves were falling. Every farmer was hard at work tending to his or her land. Despite the year everyone had, they still found ways to remain hopeful and support one other.

The LaGrange County farming community came together on Oct. 31 to finish soybean harvest for Cross-Road Farms after the family experienced a tough farming season and devastating losses.

One of the farm’s three owners, Scott Gochenaur, underwent two surgeries because of metal debris in his eye. This condition made it impossible for him to assist with harvest. Scott’s uncle and one of the other farm owners, Jon Lee Gochenaur, 66, died unexpectedly on Oct. 13 in a combine while harvesting soybeans.

After Jon’s death, the farm was left with 608 acres of soybeans to harvest in 15 different fields and very little manpower. But the community didn’t let that go unnoticed. Mark Kauffman and Dru Egli, local farmers, started organizing a community harvest day. When they learned that others in the community were ready to help, they started a list.

“People have been wanting to help since Scott got hurt and after Jon passed. Everyone wanted to help do what they could,” Kauffman says. “I know they would do it for me. It’s not uncommon in a community like this.”

Despite it being the middle of harvest, over 70 residents from LaGrange, Steuben, Dekalb, Noble and Elkhart counties in northern Indiana came to Cross-Road Farms. A combination of 19 combines, 29 semis and nine grain carts rolled into the farm with countless family members spilling out. They were fed around noon and put a game plan together before heading to the field at 1:30 p.m.

“They called us,” Egli says. “We never asked anyone to help. We had to turn people away because we had more people than work to be done.”

What would have taken days or weeks — harvesting 28,900 bushels of soybeans — took just over three hours.

“I really was surprised with the number of people,” says Scott Beecher, an owner of Cross-Road Farms. “We’ve been involved in a couple of those before, and only half that many showed up. It was a big relief. That was a week to 10 days of work, if everything went right. You never know what the weather is going to do.”

Help when needed

This isn’t an atypical scene for LaGrange County. When asked how it felt to be on the receiving end of such a great community, Scott Gochenaur said humbly that he didn’t like it.

“For me, it’s easier to give than it is to take,” he said, though he was still grateful for the outpouring of help.

Earlier this year, many other local farmers participated in another community farming event. The Klopfenstein family had about 135 acres of hay to mow and bale when their son Atticus and his friend Caden Owsley were in a severe vehicle accident in Colorado.

Wade Watson, who has known the Klopfenstein family for years, reached out to local farmers to organize help. Around 50 members of the community showed up.

“I actually had to turn people away because there wasn’t going to be enough for them to do,” Watson says. The community brought nine balers and a lot of labor to finish the fourth cutting of hay, allowing the family to stay with their son.

“That’s what I admire most about this community: the willingness to help those in need,” Kauffman says.

Prough is a senior in agricultural communication at Purdue University.

Neighbors finish corn harvest for family in need

Beth Armstrong was a vibrant young farmwife and mother. And then suddenly one night, she wasn’t. Blood clotted in an artery in her brain, and she died. It was a huge shock and tragic loss not only for her husband, Todd, but also for the entire community of Fredericksburg in Washington County, Ind., and far beyond. Besides Todd, she left behind a stepdaughter, Parker; a stepson, Mason; and two young sons, Jack and Charlie.

Holly Spangler, editor of Prairie Farmer, was a friend of Beth. They both grew up in southeastern Illinois, and both attended the University of Illinois. Spangler captured Beth’s spirit in One mama’s bigger (boot) picture.

After Beth’s death, Todd still had 300 acres of corn to harvest. He is also a district representative for AgriGold Seeds. Neighbors made sure he wouldn’t have to worry about his corn.

“Seventy people showed up on a designated day to help,” Todd says. “Two neighbors, Jim Strickland and Chris Fordyce, organized it.”

The neighbors brought seven combines and enough grain carts to do the job. Thirty-six semitrucks with trailers arrived at the farm. They harvested 305 acres in five hours.

“They handled 73,000 bushels, filling our bins and hauling the rest to elevators,” Todd says. “I can’t say enough good things about how the community pitched in to help. And it wasn’t just a one-day thing. They continue to bring us food and check on us regularly. It means a lot.”

— Tom J. Bechman