Area farmer is 400th to be helped through Farm Rescue program

Eleven years of reaching out and helping people who truly need a hand up, and on Tuesday, a benchmark in that rich history of selflessness.

It's harvest time at the Tim McLean farm near Wheatland, North Dakota. But, he's not able to do it. He is helping his wife Kari, who has stage four breast cancer. He is also taking care of his dad who is side-lined with a broken hip.

The crop is still being harvested, thanks to his neighbors and volunteers from service group Farm Rescue. For that organization, this is farmer number 400 that they've helped.

The volunteers, who are from Texas, Iowa and Michigan, are planning to take 400 acres of beans off the fields over the next couple of days.

"I was shocked, you know, really. But I can tell you, after meeting all these people, and being involved right now like this… tell you, when I retire, if I'm still able, I'm going to volunteer and go do this," McLean said.

Farm Rescue is the brainchild of Bill Gross, who grew up near Cleveland, North Dakota. Gross and his volunteers have helped farmers across a five-state area, including the Dakotas and Minnesota.

The next stop for Farm Rescue volunteers is in central Minnesota. There's a farmer there, who's going to get a hand with his corn crop.