Photo courtesy of Lisa Besemer Three combines, four tractors and five semis were brought in to help bring in John Hoffman’s last soy bean harvest, Thursday. Even more friends and neighbors volunteered to lend their equipment to the cause.

NEW ULM — In the midst of tragic death, area farmers came together to help a grieving family bring in the crops.

In a show of support, friends, family and neighbors of the late John Hoffmann, came together Thursday to combine the remaining 200 acres of soy beans in his field. Hoffmann was killed in a farm accident Wednesday.

Another farm accident near Sleepy Eye the same day sent 19-year-old Kaleb Fischer to Hennepin County Medical Center with critical injuries. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office announced that Fischer passed away at 6:54 p.m. Friday.

A total of three combines, four tractors and five semis were volunteered to bring in Hoffmann’s last soy bean harvest.

The volunteer farmers came in at 4 p.m. and work until 11:45 p.m.

“Most of the farmers helping didn’t even have their own crops in yet,” Lisa Besemer said. Besemer’s family owns the land Hoffmann farmed. She said there were an additional eight combines that wanted to lend their support to the Hoffmann family, but they had more than enough to finish the field in one night.

As an added tribute to Hoffman all the farm equipment used was John Deere equipment, which was his favorite brand.

The group of volunteers were also aided by the weather, which remained favorable through the evening.

“This is why it is so amazing to live in a small town in a rural community,” Besemer said. “It was so inspiring.”