Around 60 neighbors at a 1,200-acre farm in Ritzville, Washington reached to harvest Larry Yockey’s wheat.
Larry Yockey who is a 63-year-old man is battling stage 4 skin cancer could no longer work on his fields. When the caring neighbors got to know about his cancer, they decided to lend a hand.
Miles Pfaff, who was present that day, described the ‘Harvest Bee’ in a heart-touching Facebook post.
He wrote: “Farmers don’t quit. They don’t retire. They’re tough. Even when told they’re quite sick, they still lace up their boots, throw on that ball cap, and go out and farm as long as their bodies will allow.
Day in and day out. They know no different. It’s their land, their livelihood, it’s what they care for, and it’s everything to them.’’
“But there comes a time when farmers do quit. They quit what they’re doing, put aside their own obligations, their weekends, when one of their own needs help. They donate their time, their diesel, and their equipment. They do whatever it takes to ensure a fellow farmer can finish his harvest and get the crops in. The crops he’s worked all year, tirelessly for.’’
“And when this happens we call it a Harvest Bee. And it’s not just the farmers, it’s the local volunteer firemen with their fire trucks, the chemical company with their dust defeating water trucks, and their mechanics with their service rigs.
It’s a rare sight. A tangible, palpable feeling and environment. And it’s living, breathing proof that community, compassion, and goodwill still exist.”
“Here’s to the farmers who put their life on hold today. Those who didn’t think twice when asked to help. And likely never will.”
Yockey was overwhelmed to see people helping to harvest his crops.
“It’s not describable the gratitude I have for what’s going on,” he said.
The neighbors finished the work in just six hours. Yockey’s daughter Amanda said, “I plan to be the fifth generation out farming our grounds someday. So yesterday we had a few moments that were bittersweet for the both of us.”