Harvest rides for internationals

Onecho area farmers Saturday provided harvest rides for international students and researchers during a harvest bee at the churches mission field. The event south of the Brian Largent residence on Long Hollow Road was in the church Mission Field.

Gerhard Dyck, a bachelor farmer who died in 1960, bequeathed the field of 188 acres to the church. Proceeds from the crop are used for the international mission programs of the church.

Sixty-two international students and researchers participated in the program with 56 arriving on a WSU bus and the other via private vehicle. The day started with a short welcome program and then a hamburger and hot dog barbecue picnic which was served to approximately 120 on the lawn at the Largent house.

Harvest started at about 12:30 with five combines and 10 truck operated by church members and neighbor cut the field. The international guest waited in line for an opportunity to ride in harvest. The last ride was at 3:30 and the harvest concluded at 5:20 p.m.

Truck drivers hauled loads to Almota via a loop route on Severs Road to Almota Road and then up the Almota grade and back to the field via Long Hollow road. The loop was used to reduce two-way traffic on the Severs Road.

Some of the international guests hitched a ride on the Onecho fire truck from the picnic at the Largent residence to the Mission Field Harvest.

Brian Largent explains harvest practice to Rong Vong Sun and Hong Li of China before they board one of the combines for a short field ride.

JonJon Kinley, a Colfax resident via Guatemala, visited with Varsha Pathare, a post-doctorate researcher at WSU.

Josephine Afema of Uganda makes a stop next to the header of the Buck-Rubin combine after taking one of the first rides in the harvest bee.

William and Winnie Xiong of Pullman finish up their picnic meal on the Largent lawn.