91-year-old farmer helps with North Dakota corn harvest

EMMONS COUNTY, N.D. (KFYR/Gray News) - They say if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

So, that being said, if you find a job you still want to do at age 91, you’ve definitely chosen the right career.

In Emmons County, 91-year-old Albert Weber is still doing what he loves: helping with harvest, KFYR reported.

This is where he is happiest. He’s lived here and farmed this land his entire life.

“I was born here on this farm,” he said.

He figures he’s been harvesting crops here for 85 years.

“I probably started when I was 6 years old,” Albert Weber recalled. “That’s a lot of harvests!”

And this year, he’s learning to drive a new combine.

“We sold his old combine, he used to drive it, and we put him on this one,” explained Albert Weber’s son, Dan.

It didn’t take him long to get comfortable in the driver’s seat.

“It’s like driving a car,” Albert Weber said.

Farming is in the Weber blood. Three generations of Webers now work this land.

“We are fortunate, that’s for sure,” remarked Dan Weber.

Helping with harvest was all Albert Weber’s idea.

“At the beginning the week he called me and he asked if we were using the second combine,” recalled Albert’s grandson, Brady Weber. “I told him, no we weren’t because we didn’t have anyone to drive it. He said, ‘I’ll jump in there and I’ll run it and see how much we can get done.’”

With Albert’s help, the Webers should finish harvest in the next couple of days.

Each round in the combine brings memories of past harvests, of good years and bad years.

“1952 was a dry year,” Albert Weber said. “A lot of things have changed! We had no combines when I grew up.”

This year’s corn crop isn’t great. “Next year will be better,” he said.

That positive attitude is what’s kept Albert Weber going all these years.

His work ethic is inspiring, but Albert Weber said he’s not that special.

“I’m sure there are other guys my age doing the same thing,” he said.

“It might be outlandish to somebody that he’s out here at 91 years old, but to me it would be strange if he wasn’t,” added Brady Weber.

Albert Weber plans to be here helping with the harvest just as long as he can. He’s already thinking ahead to next year, sharing his love of farming and harvesting the rewards of a long life.

“If I’m still around, I’ll be here!” he said.

The Webers hope to be done with corn harvest in a few days. Now that it’s deer season, they’ll hunt in the morning then combine in the afternoon until they fill their deer tags.

And yes, Albert Weber has a deer tag to fill.

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