Clarion farmers help out

Lee Avenue north of Clarion was a busy area Tuesday morning as 30 local farmers, bringing eight combines, 15 semis, and seven catch-carts, came together to harvest the crop planted by Mike Studer, who passed away in May this year. The group started at 7 a.m. and had finished 190 acres in three hours. They had completed the final 152 acres by about noon.

Kirk Cramer, one farmer who helped out on Tuesday, was impressed by how quickly things got going with everybody working together.

“It’s nice to have farmers get together to help,” he said.

Mike Stevens, Studer’s brother-in-law, reached out to organize the volunteers. He said a small group of friends got together in May to finish the Studers' bean fields during planting season. This group of 30 farmers was mostly neighbors and some of the “coffee group” who come together for coffee in the morning at Hardee’s in Clarion.

“Everyone just wanted to do a little something,” Stevens said.

Sandy Studer, Mike’s wife, didn’t want to list everyone who had come to help for fear of missing giving somebody credit. She was very touched by the way everyone came. “It’s heartwarming,” she said. “Just very heartwarming.”