Onecho harvest bee attracts world audience

The Onecho Bible Church’s harvest bee attracted guests from all over the world this year.

Besides the farmers and families who participated in the bee, 40 international students from Washington State University and a group of photojournalists led by Jack Lien attended the bee on Long Hollow Road about six miles south of the church.

Lien’s tour group included photographers from Canada, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

Darrel Claassen told the story of how the church received the donation of land from Gerhard Dyck in 1960.

“Five generations of my family have farmed that land as well as other families here,” he said.

“He was a farmer, gentleman and had a deep love of God’s work,” Claassen said.

He said Dyck’s intention was that church members farm the land using donated work and that proceeds from the farm be used for missionary work.

Brady Wuestney completed his Eagle Scout project when he built a sign at the field to tell how Onecho Bible Church received the land, how it’s farmed and how the money is used.

“I decided to do this project because I know there has been conversations about doing this for many years, and I thought I could make a well-constructed sign,” he explained to the harvest bee crowd before the cutting.

“Many people, including my family and I, have received money from this field to help go on mission trips to both Brazil and Guatemala,” Wuestney continued. “But I had a lot of help, so thank you, Greg Nolan, for his help as my mentor.”

The sign reads as follows: “Onecho Bible Church Mission Field.

“Gerhard Dyck was a devout Christian, farmer and lifelong bachelor. Upon his death in 1960, he bequeathed 180 acres of fertile farm ground to Onecho Bible Church. It was his intention for this ground to be farmed with volunteer labor by members of the church, with all proceeds to go to missions around the world.

“Missionaries both local and worldwide have received money from the harvests. God has blessed the proceeds of this field in countless ways. This field is all for the Glory of God.

“Installed in 2014 as a Boy Scout Eagle project by church member Brady Wuestney.”

After a lunch prepared by Onecho church members on Brian and Debbie Largent’s lawn, a group of vehicles went to the harvest site about a mile from the Largent residence.

Six combines and nine trucks participated in the bee this year, Brian Largent said. People took turns riding in the big machines over the hills as the grain was cut. Guests also rode in the trucks to Almota to be unloaded.

Debbie Largent said there were between 25 to 30 guests who rode in combines and trucks. Brian Largent said that the spring wheat averaged 47 bushels to the acre and considering the weather, he was very pleased with the crop.