Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Farmers come together to help one of their own

Friends of Bill Watts donated their time to help plant and harvest his fields

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

A group of farmers in Illinois came together to help a fellow producer who’s going through some tough times.

Bill Watts, a farmer from Ford County, was having surgery in Texas to battle liver cancer. Eight of his friends took care of planting his fields in the spring and will harvest them later this month.

“We’re all saying a little prayer for Bill today,” Jim Hofbauer, one of the assisting farmers, told Iowa Farmer Today.

Friends
From left: Kenny Heimburger, Dean Blackford, Jim Hofbauer, Paul Frichel, Ed Frichel, Neil Miller, Elmer Kief and Tood Shively. These farmers came together to help an ill friend complete his fieldwork.
Photo: Phyllis Coulter/Iowa Farmer Today

Dean Blackford took charge and organized the planting of Watt’s 860 acres of corn and soybeans. He’ll also be planning the harvest schedule to ensure the fields are completed on time.

It also acts as a reminder that farmers are part of a special community.

“We’re as competitive as hell with each other, but when someone needs something, we are there for each other,” Blackford told Iowa Farmer Today.

“Each neighbor was in charge of preparing and planting a specific farm or field,” Todd Shively told Iowa Farmer Today. “It was very organized. Every neighbor cared for the fields just like it was their own.”

Before his surgery, Watts said people would wear out their pickup trucks trying to find a better group of people.


Trending Video

Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.