Help for those in need

PICKRELL - Driving a red semitrailer loaded with 30 large round hay bales - about 25 tons - Robert Harms of Pickrell began a 500-mile journey on Friday to provide a little aid to livestock owners in need.

The hay, donated by 13 farmers who are part of the congregation of Zion Lutheran Church of rural Pickrell, will be taken to the Harrison area, in northwestern Nebraska, where it will be distributed to livestock owners struggling from the effects of ongoing drought and fires.

The hay was loaded Friday afternoon and Harms said he would probably cover about 200 miles on Friday and cover the remaining 300 miles of the trip on Saturday.

“I think it's a good idea,” said John Sievers, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church.

Sievers said Harms approached him at church about the idea.

“I thought it would be neat to do,” he said, especially with rains in the area resulting in farmers in Southeast Nebraska having better hay crops than they were expecting.

Sievers said he contacted Zion's sister congregation, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Chadron, to find out how they might be able to help out. From there he got in contact with the Orphan Grain Train out of Norfolk, a Lutheran organization that coordinates disaster relief efforts.

Harms said the effort has come together over the last two weeks, as rains resulted in farmers having more hay than they expected, so they could spare a bale or two to help others.

“That's part of our mission here at the church,” he said.

In addition to Harms donating his driving time and farmers donating hay to the effort, Harms said Sapp Brothers was donating the fuel for the trip.