NORTH ENGLISH, Iowa — During his recovery from a heart transplant, North English farmer David Axmear knew he wouldn’t be able to complete harvest season in the allotted time necessary to get his corn and soybeans out of his Keokuk County fields.

Farm Rescue volunteers sprang into action when they heard about Axmear’s situation. “They’re just great,” said Axmear. “I’m so grateful.”

Based in Horace, N.D., Farm Rescue provides assistance to farm families in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and eastern Montana who have suffered health problems, illness or natural disasters, with an estimated 1,000 volunteers assisting about 50 families per year and more than 300 farm families since 2006.

“Our mission is to help family farms survive,” said Levi Wielenga, equipment specialist and Farm Rescue volunteer who helped Axmear, along with Alaskan volunteers Nick McGraph and his son, Nathan. “We have volunteers from Alaska to Florida,” said Wielenga, of Sioux City, Iowa, who works as a locomotive engineer and conductor for BNSF Railway.

Sponsored by such big names as Walmart, Key Cooperative, RDO Equipment and WHO Radio in Des Moines, Farm Rescue gives families a chance to continue their livelihood by providing the necessary equipment and manpower to plant, harvest or hay their crop, free of charge, according to Bill Gross, a full-time pilot for UPS Airlines and founder and president of Farm Rescue.

Gross said when he started the nonprofit, he noticed the changing demographics of fewer family farms and fewer children staying on the farms. “My original plan was to be a random Good Samaritan going around helping farmers,” he explained. “I was prompted by a friend to think on a larger scale of establishing a formal nonprofit that could help thousands of farm families over time. That is when I founded Farm Rescue.

“However, I do not receive any compensation. I am a volunteer just like the hundreds of other volunteers that assist the organization.”

One of those hundreds of volunteers is Kenneth Chyle of Auburn, Ky., who retired from full-time farming in 2007 and is a private pilot. “I read about Farm Rescue in a farming magazine,” he said. “It sounded like a great organization. I feel like I’m at the point in my life where I can give back, so I thought I’d start here. I applied in 2010 but couldn’t actively participate until April 2011 (due to the rainy season).

“Everything I’ve done for Farm Rescue has been just an experience within itself. I’ve enjoyed working with the seasoned volunteers and hopefully, in time, will be as much of an asset to Farm Rescue as they are.”

Another volunteer is William Rudolphi from Champaign, Ill., who was a Navy instructor pilot in Pensacola, Fla., and a commercial airline pilot for American Airlines for 30 years.

His favorite memory so far has been helping the Dahlin family in Chester, Mont.

“I received much satisfaction in knowing that I was helping a very deserving and thankful farm family,” he said. “Helping the Dahlins gave me a lot of pride; they were a very deserving family going through a rough time, both physically and emotionally.

“The family was able to keep work going during a challenging time, which gave them peace of mind. As a volunteer, my work keeps progress going, which can be the most valuable gift I could give. I feel that is the most important thing we can do.”

To qualify for assistance, a farmer or rancher must have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster.

For more information on qualifying for farm assistance, or becoming a Farm Rescue volunteer, visit http://farmrescue.org