Locals help with harvest following death of farmer

By Sarah Rudlang – WDAY

​Dozens of neighbors and friends are helping with the harvest on the farm of the late Mark Yaggie.

He died in a plane crash in Moorhead on July 2nd.

On the outside, it looks like a typical harvest. But these farmers are coming together to yield the work of Mark Yaggie's hands.

​"Mark would be, he would be very excited to see this I think," said Jeff Yaggie, Mark's first cousin.

160 acres of sugar beets paired with dozens of neighbors and friends.

"This is what it's all about because it could happen to anybody really," said Jeff.

Besides farming all of his life, Mark also operated a spray-plane business. He died July 2nd in a plane crash near the Moorhead airport.

"It's hard to believe he's gone," said Jeff.

The NTSB said the plane struck a light pole while flying at a low altitude along I-94.

"It's a real surprise that something like that happened but I guess you just gotta go on," said Parnell Raatz.

"For Marks' passing away, the family and neighbors are getting together to get part of the crop off," said Raatz.

"In the agriculture community, when things like this happens, everyone seems to step up they really do," said Jeff.

With hundreds of acres of sugar beets, soy beans and corn, the job is no small task.

"It's more your thinking about Mark, you know what I mean, you're thinking about Mark because he'd be all juiced up about things like this. He'd be one of the first in line to help out too."

Farming and family coming together when help is needed most.

​The volunteers plan to harvest 500 more acres within the next week or two.