LITCHFIELD, Mich. —Farmers in Michigan harvested the entire soybean crop at the Brooks family farm, which had been left shorthanded due to the death of one of the family members. 

More than 25 people brought their own combines, trucks and crews and were able to harvest the entire 400 acres in about four hours on Oct. 6. 

Steve Brooks, 65, died in late June after falling from a ladder. 

Farmer Keith Blonde, who came up with the idea, said the family’s reaction made the effort totally worth it. The farms of Brooks and Blonde are next to each other and have been in the same families for nearly 100 years.

“I feel good about it.  They really, really appreciated it,” said Blonde. 

Blonde 72, along with his son and grandson raise corn and soybeans on about 3,000 acres along with 12,000 hogs in Litchfield in the south central part of the state near Battle Creek. 

“Steve was a really hard worker.  He loved to farm.  He was a great person,” Blonde said.

Blonde said he came up with the idea to ease the pressure on Brooks’ still grieving father, Addison, who plans to bring in the hundreds of acres of corn at the family farm himself with help from employees. 

He has more time to do it now that members of the farming community of about 1,400 people harvested the soybeans.

“I just felt like if there was something we could do for his dad to help so they can get an earlier start on their corn,” Blonde said.

Blonde was pleased at how people reacted when approached about lending the family a hand.

“There wasn’t a single person that said no. They all said, yes, we’d love to help,” he said.

The Andersons, Inc., local buyers of grain with an elevator to store it, bought sandwiches for the volunteers to eat once they were finished harvesting the soybeans.

The company, which also provides seed and has a fertilizer division, sprayed the soybeans for the family shortly after the death of Steve. 

Blonde said what stands out to him the most about Brooks was his ability to “fix anything” and his love for working on the several antique John Deere tractors he kept at the farm.

According to his obituary, Brooks was a member of the Litchfield High School Class of 1977 and graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture.

He and his siblings were also 4-H members through childhood.

Brooks was described by family members in his obituary as being known for having a “goofy personality” and “dry sense of humor.”

He also took part in the annual Mackinac Bridge Tractor Crossing with his father.

Brooks was survived by his wife of 42 years, Dawn, along with three children and 11 grandchildren.

“Very well respected family in the community,” Blonde said. 

The family of Steve Brooks would like to thank the following people who helped with the harvest: Randy and Chris Brooks-Brooks Farm Jonesville; Scott Brooks Farms; Terry and Jessie Rice Farms; Terry and Tye Finnegan Farms; Don Sparks; Doug and Kevin Wildt Farms; Brent, Trent, Brandon, and Danny Chamberlain Farms; Bruce and Jeremy Crandall Farms; Keith and Linda K&L Blonde Farms; Brad and Cody C&B Blonde Farms; Bruce and Adam Blonde Farms; Larry Knuth; Mark and Patrick Kies Farms; Colin Munsell; Tom Hughes; Todd and Chris Landis Farms; Adam Towers, and Jim Caldwell.