Some have said the three most beautiful scenes offered by Nature are a ship in full sail, a woman near the end of pregnancy and a field of ripened grain grasses, rolling gently under a breeze. Lane Unhjem would probably have agreed with at least the third part of that sentiment as his gaze wandered across fields of heavy-headed grain, ripe and ready for harvest. His fields, his grain, on his farm. Also, his chore to reap what he had sown earlier in the year.
The Unhjem family farm was a one man operation. The only assistance Lane had with tending to the tasks on his land was one part-timer, hired on a seasonal basis, and family when their own jobs allowed. Working by himself, it would take the 57 year old farmer about two weeks to get all 1,000 acres of durum wheat and canola in the bin. His fields would be fully cut by September 23, or somewhere thereabouts.
North Dakota farmers produce the majority of the nation’s barley, bean, canola, durum wheat, field pea, lentil, red spring wheat and sunflowers. This beautiful September day during peak harvest season had fields all over Divide County, N.D. buzzing with machinery as farmers gratefully gathered healthy crops, staving off concern that uneven balance sheets would open a path to certain bankruptcy with every filled grain cart. Unhjem settled into the seat of his combine and officially launched the family farm’s wheat harvest.
He’d hardly started to reap the fruits of his labors when, suddenly, smoke and flames began erupting from the combine harvester. Unhjem escaped the burning machinery and urgently began working to extinguish the fire now moving across his field of dry wheat. Neighboring farmers saw the smoke and flashes of light and immediately ceased their own harvesting chores, speeding to the Unhjem farm, preserving his field by vanquishing the blaze before it had opportunity to burn much of his durum wheat.
Severe smoke inhalation and the stress of the incident sent Mr. Unhjem into cardiac arrest. He’d suffered a heart attack a few years earlier and recognised the signs. The amazing neighbors who had just saved his crop now rushed Lane Unhjem to Crosby’s St. Luke’s Hospital in effort to save his life.
“He flatlined three times in the emergency room,” his daughter Tabitha Unhjem, 31, said.
Emergency air services transported the father of four, grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of two from St. Luke’s to Trinity Medical Center in Minot, 100 miles away. His wife, son and one daughter traveled to the hospital in Minot while two other daughters kept an eye on the farm. Lane Unhjem had been raised on that farm, it had been in his family for more than 60 years. What the land produced was the Unhjem family’s livelihood To lose their fall harvest would be ruinous, financially and emotionally. Those amazing neighbors, however, did not intend to allow one of their own to fall.
“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.
“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.
Three days after the fiery incident that had thrown Lane Unhjem into cardiac arrest and an intensive care unit in Minot, 60 of his neighbors interrupted their own harvesting labors to show up at the Unhjem farm. They came with 11 combine harvesters, six grain carts and 15 semi-trucks. In less than eight hours, the invasion of kindness put all 1,000 acres of Unhjem’s durum and canola in the bin.
“In this part of the country, any time anybody needs a helping hand, everybody will stop what they’re doing at the drop of a hat and come help,” said Brad Sparks, a neighboring farmer. “That’s just the way it is here. People from 30 miles away showed up with trucks.”
Other friends and strangers, and local businesses, came to the farm with food for the workers and other resources for the family, often settling down to witness the act of mercy greeting their sensibilities after arriving. It was enthralling, the sight of so many people utilising these huge pieces of farming machinery, working in cooperative unison for the good of another. A local professional photographer who’d heard what was going on showed up to snap some pics for the family and posterity. Once he arrived at the farm, it didn’t take long for Don Anderson to realise there was no way photographs alone would be able to capture the scene.
“You can’t truly appreciate it unless you were there,” Don Anderson said. “The ground was rumbling. It’s not only something you felt emotionally, but it was also a physical feeling. It was really something to be proud of.”
Tabitha and Samantha, Lane’s daughters at the farm, sent photos to their family at the hospital as the dozens of farmers worked their labor of love.
“Mom was being strong, but every time a photo came in, she got emotional,” said Toni White, 41, Unhjem’s daughter at the hospital. “You could see her heart overflowing, and you could also see the relief.” White said if her father was not sedated and aware of what his neighbors were doing for him, “he would tear up and try to figure out how he could ever repay them.”
The good people of Crosby and beyond did not stop taking care of the Unhjem’s after the durum and canola task was complete. A GoFundMe page was set up by a friend of the family and the local pancake house held a special fundraiser to help raise money to pay Lane’s medical expenses. Other members of the community have worked to fill the family freezer with food and continue to labor on the farm, moving cows from pasture to pasture, harvesting the soybean crop and hauling hay.
Lane Unhjem has had a heck of a time, including organ failure. As of October 2, 2020, he’d been in a lower level care facility for a few days and was beginning to eat solid food. He has a long, long road to recovery in front of him. The Unhjem family has been overwhelmed by the blessings being poured on them in such a time of need. Family members have been using the GoFundMe page as a bulletin board, posting updates about Lane’s health journey and expressing their endless gratitude to the amazing people of Divide County, North Dakota. From an update posted on September 22, just about the date a 57 year old farmer had been thinking he’d be done harvesting his 1,000 acres of grain, all by himself:
“The incredible community of Divide County that showed up to save my parents livelihood to harvest 1000 acres in one day. And then continued to support with food for the harvesters on that harvest bee plus helping bring in the soybeans a week later and hauling hay. The incredible support of each of our employers & our teams at work that support us as we take time off to help Lane fight his way back; DC sheriffs office, Kocher Accounting, Kay Jewelers & Ryan Nissan. Please know that it’s Your light that has illuminated a potentially very dark time for our family. And it is only right that this same light brings hope to people across the US and beyond.
What makes this even more remarkable is these incredible people did it because it was the right thing to do. Not for publicity or fame. But because when a person is in need this is what the people of Divide County & ND do: You step up & you take care of your neighbor. Helping others is the way of life here.
It is your support and your prayers and positive energy that we have shared with each other & Lane to guide us through and inspired him to “claw his way back” as one Dr put it. And it is this same light that I have no doubt continues to lead us out of the woods. We still have a long way to go; but please know you have made a difference in Lanes recovery, this family’s livelihood & in the peace of our hearts and minds. Thank you with all of our hearts 🖤 Lane Unhjem Julie Unhjem Samantha Coates Tabitha Unhjem Michael Unhjem”
God bless the Unhjem family and the community of hard working Americans they are blessed to call, Neighbor. The cooperative spirit is alive and on display in Divide County, North Dakota. Potentially, the most inappropriately named place in the United States of America.