Jeff McRae had an inkling that something might happen while he and his wife, Linda, were away from their farm for a few days in mid-August
He heard talk that some of his farming neighbours and friends were planning to hold a harvest bee while he was in Winnipeg for an important medical appointment.
He thought maybe a few combines and a couple of grain trucks would show up for the bee. He was in for a surprise.
Instead of a trickle of combines and trucks arriving for the harvest bee, 14 combines took to the McRaes’ fields on the afternoon of Aug. 15, accompanied by a large turnout of grain trucks, grain carts, tractors and balers.
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The harvesting of more than 500 acres of wheat and barley began shortly after lunch. All the grain was in the bin before suppertime rolled around.
Days after the harvest bee, Jeff was still overwhelmed and had difficulty finding the words to express his appreciation.
“I wasn’t expecting quite so many. It was really nice to see.”
The McRaes farm southwest of Brandon on a mixed operation of grain and cattle.
Jeff, 38, was in Winnipeg for an appointment concerning his brain tumour.
He said the harvest bee added to his conviction that he and his family live in the best neighbourhood anywhere.
Robert Jameson, an area farmer who took part in the harvest bee, said even more people would have showed up if organizers could have accommodated them all.
“In the last 48 hours, the phones have been ringing off the hook,” he said on the day of the bee, while pausing to take a break from baling in the simmering summer heat.
There was already talk of a similar effort to help the McRaes harvest their canola and flax. While the outpouring of support spoke volumes about the community, it also demonstrated that the McRae family, which includes sons Tyson and Eric, is well regarded by many.
“This takes a little of the pressure off,” said Jameson. “It leaves Jeff with a little less to worry about.”
The participants were aware of Jeff’s independent nature, and at least one speculated that he would be upset when he returned from Winnipeg to find the wheat and barley harvested by people who still had harvesting of their own to do.
True to his nature, Jeff said in an Aug. 20 interview that he wanted to at least harvest his canola before returning to Winnipeg for another medical appointment, knowing that another group of volunteers likely would converge at his farm to harvest the flax while he was away.
