So often in life its every man or woman for himself or herself and especially in this hard and difficult world, there are many people who don’t or won’t make the time to help others. It feels like we could be destined for a future where less and less people care, well this story will restore your faith just a little…
I wonder if that is the reason why the 2013 Super Bowl commercial for Ram Trucks is still strongly felt by many, many across American soil. The advert featured clips from decades old speeches that were recorded by renowned radio broadcaster Paul Harvey.
The original speech that Harvey gave was in 1978, it was at the Future Farmers Of America Convention and very aptly entitled “So God Made a Farmer.”
It all happened to start like just like this:
“And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker.’ So God made a farmer.”
Many were, perhaps not familiar at all with this speech, but it was somewhat possible that Van Brownlee’s neighbors, that reside in the rural parts of Saint Charles over in Iowa, could be a little vague but familiar with this speech…
Even though that was the case, it really didn’t stop them from living out the words, from Harvey, in real life. Coming from all the local townships, Truro, Saint Charles and Peru… just to take care of everything!
Sadly, back in May and not long after the farmer had planted all his crop, Brownlee, aged 58 years, died.
Lisa Brownlee, woke up one morning to a big surprise, there was a huge convoy of trucks, grain carts and combines spread across the family’s land.
It happens that the community had resolved themselves to harvest her husband’s final crop before they had even dealt with their own crops in their own fields!
The harvest was a huge 165 acres of soybeans and 235 acres of corn too, the news said that Brownlee had practiced something called “no-till farming” to minimize soil erosion, he was, of course, concerned about the crazy amount of chemicals used today.
Neighbors unite to harvest farmer’s final crops – Van Brownlee died shortly after planting crops in the spring…. https://t.co/UuDPlOJ7NF
— Bob Kurtz (@dotnethed) October 31, 2017
Very active in the cattlemen and pork producers groups of Madison County, he had not only been on the Interstate 35 School Board, but he had sat on local cooperative farming boards.
Everyone has passed the word around, and very fast, many of the neighbors had taken note of the harvest plan, good old word of mouth! Not a single person could believe the extent of the turnout.
Steve Downs who organized all of the harvest, had known Brownlee since his junior high school, and he said that if Brownlee himself would do exactly the same for others, without a second thought.
Steve also said that it wasn’t that long ago that Brownlee helped bring in a neighbors hay crop for a farmer that had been sadly killed in a farming accident.
Other friends revered Brownlee as a guy committed to the land and real farming. He loved every single second that he got to be there, raising livestock and planting crops.
Steve said his friend is someone who:
“…always had a chew in and a hat on.”
This really does restore your faith in not just humankind but just goes to show how the hardworking farming community really do support each other, and have a true love of the work!