Good Neighbors
When floodwaters threatened our farm’s harvest, dozens donated their time and trucks to help out.
People poured in to save the harvest from the floodwaters.
On May 3, 2017, Pocahontas, Arkansas, was hit by historical flooding. The Black River reached levels never before seen, threatening to blow through a levee that was protecting thousands of acres of farmland.
I am the co-operator of Weitkamp Farms, which stood in the direct path of the overflowing levee. Realizing the barrier wasn’t going to hold, we were faced with the realization that the 56,000 bushels of rice, corn and soybeans left in our grain bins would be lost to flooding.
We started trucking grain out on May 2 at 7 a.m., knowing that without assistance there wasn’t a chance of getting it all out. However, our prayer was answered when friends and neighbors started pouring in to help us.
With everyone giving it their all, we moved the 56,000 bushels in 28 hours of straight work. We finished at noon on May 3, and the levee breached later that afternoon.
Hundreds of acres of planted cropland flooded, but at least our grain in the bins was saved, thanks to many kind folks who went above and beyond to help in our time of need.