Community comes together to harvest crops of farmer who got injured while trying to save a puppy

Scott Legried was on his way to pick up a load of gravel to help a neighbor with a driveway project in the small farming community of Frost, Minnesota, in August this year when he noticed a German shepherd puppy running into the middle of the road. He immediately swerved his truck to avoid hitting the pup but lost control of the vehicle and it ended up rolling several times before coming to a halt off the road in a cornfield. "I got knocked out and when I came to, I couldn't move," he told The Washington Post. "I couldn't even reach up to get my cell phone from the dash of my truck. I remember saying, 'Lord, I'm going to need some help here in the next five or 10 minutes.'"

Eventually, a woman who was driving through the area came across the wrecked truck and called 911. Legried was taken to a hospital where it was determined he'd suffered a broken shoulder blade and collarbone, seven broken ribs, two cracked vertebrae, a collapsed lung, and a concussion. Doctors informed Legried—who lives alone and maintains his farm on his own with the occasional help of two seasonal workers—that it would be several months before he would be well enough to drive a tractor. This presented a huge challenge for him as he was due to harvest his 600 acres of soybeans and corn in just six weeks.

However, when it came time for the October harvest, a heartwarming solution presented itself. More than a dozen farmers from Frost and surrounding towns showed up at Legried's farm with their combines, trucks and grain wagons and quickly set about harvesting his soybean crop. According to WCCO, they harvested about 240 acres in around four hours; a feat that would have taken Legried a week to accomplish on his own. The farmers also informed him that they would return later in the month to bring in his corn. "This is a busy time of year for farmers, so it meant the world to me," the 50-year-old said. "But I guess I really wasn't surprised. I'm lucky to live in a community where people have always looked out for each other."

This isn't the first time the town has shown up to support Legried in his time of need. Friends and neighbors rallied to bring in the family's corn crop 11 years ago when Legried's father died of cancer at harvest time. "It's what people do here," he said. "When somebody offers you help here, you know you should take it. Because it comes from the heart." The community effort to harvest Legried's crops was led by Lori Osland, whose husband, Rick Osland, grew up across the road from Legried's 1920 farmhouse. "We knew that with both of his shoulders injured in the accident, it would be impossible for Scott to drive his tractor," she said. So, Osland set about calling people who might be willing to help and soon had a list of 18 farmers to harvest Legried's soybean crop in early October.

"I personally know how much it meant to Scott," Osland said. "When I had cancer six years ago, I never had to cook a meal. Everyone pitched in. And that's what they wanted to do for him in the same spirit." Frost City Clerk Cindy Klingbeil had a similar story to share as the latest instance of community support reminded her of the outpouring she received 16 years ago when her husband, Brad Quade, was killed in a farming accident. "Everyone set aside one day and harvested all 450 of our acres," the 60-year-old recalled. "It really meant a lot. It's something people have done here for as long as I can remember. Last year, we had a farmer who was laid up after an accident, and everyone pitched in then, too. We only have 200 people, but everyone does their part."

"Frost really is the heartland of America," said Legried. "One day, I hope I'm able to pay the favor back."