Farmers pitch in to help Sorensen family with harvest

Craig Sorensen experienced the power of community on the weekend.

The 55-year-old Sorensen farms just north of Ogema, but he wasn’t able to participate in harvest this year after the lower part of his left leg was amputated in early September.

On Saturday, others were in the fields for him.

“I sent out a text to people about my plight and a couple of farmers took the bull by the horns,” Sorensen said during Monday’s Greg Morgan Morning Show.

“They set the date to harvest and that was this Saturday. Eleven combines showed up and some trucks and they got most of the crop off.”

In April, Sorensen was working on his combine when he felt something wrong with his left foot. It swelled up, but he couldn’t get in to see a doctor immediately because of COVID-19.

When he finally got to see a doctor in late May, X-rays determined Sorensen had cellulitis in the foot. He also was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure.

At the end of August, a blister developed on the foot and doctors determined it wasn’t going to heal. Amputation was the only option and, on Sept. 5, Sorensen’s left leg was amputated six inches below the knee.

He could only watch Saturday as other farmers took his place.

“I was happy and disappointed actually that I couldn’t be out there because the one quarter that we farm, this was the 100th crop we took off as our family,” Sorensen said. “I seeded it but I couldn’t get it combined myself.

“I was very grateful … The curling club supplied a supper for them when they were done, so everything got done.”

Well, not everything: Sorensen’s barley crop remains in the field.

“It wasn’t quite ready,” he said. “It was seeded a little bit later into June, so they said they’ll probably wrap it up here in the next week or so.”

Sorensen is to get the staples out of his leg on Sept. 29 and, on Oct. 8, is to be fitted for a prosthetic. Doctors have told him he should be walking by Christmas.

In the meantime, others have shown their support in the fields.

“Thanks to everybody who came out (Saturday),” he said. “It’s appreciated.”