One of the few Ottawa County farmers harvesting wheat last week, Laubacher needed to make it to the opposite side of the tracks on Benton Carroll Road before the train arrived.
He had to talk to his friend, Lynn Apling, a retiree who helps with his harvest.
Ottawa County wheat farmers face massive losses after wet, cool spring
Daniel Carson, The News-Messenger
Time is precious this year for county farmers who were able to plant and are battling the elements to get their crops out of the ground.
Trains periodically zipped past the field on adjacent tracks, as threatening clouds and an increasing chance of rain pushed Laubacher to finish fast.
"I could lose it if I don't get it done," Laubacher said last week, as he noted ominous clouds perched overhead and a likelihood of afternoon thunderstorms.
Heavy rains and saturated fields this spring caused significant pain, with some farmers unable to plant at all and others, like Laubacher, struggling to work around delayed planting schedules and tight harvesting windows.
Winter wheat losses could range from 80 to 90% for Ottawa County farmers, said Mike Libben, administrator of the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District.
Libben also farms wheat.
He lost half of his wheat crop this winter, with one field succumbing to this year's disastrous weather.
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