There was a large outpouring of support Tuesday for a man who died in a farming accident near Taber.
28 year old Joel Bydevaate passed away after being caught in a potato harvesting machine last week. On Tuesday, a large number of people showed up to harvest one of his family’s potato fields.
“As a community, we just wanted to do something for the family,” said Mike Wind, one of the organizers of the harvest. “We felt this way we could all participate as a community, as potato growers and as neighbors to help finish the harvest for the family and take a little bit of pressure off the farming operation.”
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The outpouring of support for Joel Bydevaate’s family was huge.
“Today I think there were over 100 people here,” said Pastor Brian Kuyper from the Taber Christian Reformed Church. “Yesterday at the funeral over 1,000 people who attended the funeral service. It’s amazing to see the overwhelming support for the family.”
Many who helped with the harvest worked at tasks they normally don’t do, just so they could help.
Joel’s brother Jesse said, “It’s really cool and the support has been unreal. We appreciate all the support, that’s for sure.”
Joel’s family said he was a happy and cheerful role model for his family and other people. They said he loved harvesting, was excited about it and would appreciate how people helped his family with the harvest.
Jesse Bydevaate said, “He’d be so proud. It would normally take us three days to do this field but we’ll do it in half a day. It’s really cool. I just can’t say enough.
Brent Bydevaate, another of Joel’s brothers said, “This, he would definitely have like to see. He would have liked to do it himself. We’re like that, my dad, me and him. We like doing things ourselves. But this means so much and if he’s seeing this, and he is seeing this I’m sure he’s smiling. He’s just loving it for sure. To see it finish like this is just beautiful.
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