Community Rallies Around Farmer Who Risked His Life To Save A Puppy
As a farmer, one of the busiest times of the year is harvest season. Having a good harvest can be the difference between putting food on the table or struggling the rest of the year.
50-year-old farmer Scott Legried has 240 acres of soybeans that need to be harvested each season, along with acres and acres of corn. It's a big task and one that Scott found himself unable to complete this year.
According to CBS News, Scott was driving his truck in Frost, Minnesota when a German shepherd puppy ran into the road in front of him. In that moment, Scott had to make a split-second decision to swerve and avoid the dog or to keep driving and run the puppy over.
Scott chose the former and ended up flipping his truck off the road and into a cornfield to save the puppy's life. He was severely injured and had to be hospitalized for weeks.
Speaking with The Washington Post, Legried said, "I got knocked out and when I came to, I couldn't move. I couldn't even reach up to get my cellphone 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.'"
Thankfully, a passerby spotted the overturned truck and called 911 for help. Scott's injuries included a broken shoulder blade, multiple broken ribs, two broken vertebrae, a concussion, and a collapsed lung.
Scott would need months to recover from the injuries, but his crops needed to be harvested ASAP. Farm work doesn't wait on anything, not even life-threatening injuries.
While that could've been the end for Scott and his farm, something amazing happened when word began to spread about what happened.
The small community of Frost, Minnesota rallied together and made a plan to harvest all of Scott's crops! More than a dozen farmers showed up at his farm with heavy-duty equipment, like combines, trucks, and grain wagons. In a matter of four hours, they harvested over 240 acres - something that would've taken Scott an entire week by himself in good health.
It's amazing what the community can do when they come together for something good.
Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.