Richard Engelbrecht – Thank a Farmer

We’ve teamed up with Whites Farm Supply, Case IH and James Wesley to ‘Thank a Farmer.' One farmer will win a $2500 White's Farm Supply gift certificate and a personal phone call from Wesley to 'Thank a Farmer. Today we recognize the Richard Engelbrecht nominated by Kimberly Robertson.  Here's his story:

Richard Engelbrecht has been in farming just about his whole life. He was born and raised on a farm in 1944. With his father gone and his mother a school teacher in Rome, Richard and his younger brother did most of the farm chores at a young age. He also helped his grandfather with his farm. He is a lifetime member in the FFA and is also an active member on the Madison/Oneida BOCES board for 40 years. Richard ended up buying his first farm when he was 21. And bought several more since.

He is one of the farmers that fought through hard times to make his farm a success. Everyone takes their food for granted but farmers struggle and many have to get out of farming because they can not make it. One bad season of crops could totally bankrupt a farmer. Many people don't realize when they want bright and sunny days every day, it can ruin crops from lack of water. Flooding can also ruin crops from too much water! Then food prices skyrocket because there is not as much to go around.

During the recent flooding, Richard could not get back to the farm one night. I rent the upstairs of his farmhouse. When I got up the next morning, all I heard was rushing water. I looked outside and Route 26 was totally flooded out. It looked like a river. The pastures were all flooded. I called in work, woke up my son and daughter, and we went out to check cattle. We called Richard and told him were badly flooded and he had a calf in jeopardy. Route 26 was closed and he tried to get around. He ended up risking a lot to get to his cattle and to help us make sure they were safe. But within 45 min of calling him, he was there! Jumping o a tractor to relieve some of the tension on fencing around a very young calf so she would not drown. There wasn't a whole lot we could do but to pray the rain would stop and the flood waters would recede.

Anyway, til this day he is STILL a farmer. He raises show cattle, grows corn, hay and soy beans. He also rents out heavy equipment to other farmers that may not have the money to buy the equipment themselves or they just need something heavier for bigger jobs. He has worked hard to get to where he's at and doesn't show any signs of slowing down!!

Thank you Richard Engelbrecht for what you do everyday. We’ll put you in grand prize drawing for a $2500 gift certifcate from White's Farm Supply and a phone call from James Wesley, so he can ‘Thank a Farmer.’