KELLOGG, Minn. — On Oct. 6, Evers Dairy got help with hauling corn silage. With the sun shining in the sky, one of the dairy’s CLAAS self-propelled choppers loaded a Radio Flyer coaster wagon pulled by a John Deere 4440-themed wheelchair. Driving was 9-year-old Memphis Franke.
His parents, Kevin and Tracy, were on hand to video the scene.
“He had a huge smile,” Tracy said. “He felt like he was truly helping.”
Memphis, who wants to be a dairy farmer when he grows up, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes muscle degeneration over time. According to the National Library of Medicine, DMD is one of the most severe forms of inherited muscular dystrophy. He was diagnosed at the age of 3, and, in 2021, he lost his ability to walk and started using a wheelchair.
“We have to make the best of it,” Tracy said. “We got two options. We can either be sad or we can help him have the best life he can have. He’s happy when he gets to farm, and if allowed, he would skip school every day to farm.”
Memphis had mentioned earlier in the year that he would like to help chop.
On Oct. 6 when part of the crew at Evers Dairy was chopping at the farm of Memphis’ grandparents, Mark and Janet, the Franke family got their chance.
Evers Dairy is owned by Memphis’ family and includes his grandpa, Mark Evers, and Mark’s brothers, Jerry, Philip, and Wayne. This harvest season, between hay and corn, Memphis rode along in the chopper several times.
Memphis is their “No. 1 rider” said his great-uncle, Wayne Evers.
“It’s always so fun listening to him, because he always knows all his stuff about farming,” Evers said. “He knows all his numbers and knows who’s all driving the trucks. The questions he has are just really interesting.”
That day after lunch Memphis left his dessert to the wind when it came time for chopping.
“When the chopper pulled in, he dropped the pie and out the door he went,” Evers said.
When it came to Memphis helping with chopping, instead of his usual ride-along, Evers, who was driving the chopper, was up for it but was not sure how it would work.
“We didn’t know whether we could hit it with the choppers or not, because it’s a little target,” Evers said. “It worked out actually easier to hit the target than what I thought it was going to be. Memphis knew enough to keep moving so he didn’t get covered up.”
His mom agreed.
“He had been watching enough trucks to know what to do,” she said.
Once he filled up, he drove a quarter of a mile to the silage pile and dumped his load. When he was done, he wanted to help with another load.
This time, the chopper driver was Cory Henry, an employee at Evers Dairy for the past seven years. Henry was happy to have another hauler.
“(I had the) biggest smile on my face ever,” Henry said. “It was phenomenal. … I love having Memphis around.”
Henry filled the wagon too full getting him loaded and it tipped over. It got righted, and soon Memphis was ready to go.
“It was fun,” Tracy said. “(Memphis) didn’t even stop that time. He just went straight to the pile. He knew exactly where he was going to go, and left Mom and Dad behind.”
Memphis is a regular ride-along with Henry, Evers, his great-uncle Philip and his cousin Brady.
“Memphis is always full of questions,” Henry said. “He’s always a good time. He’s always giving you a hard time if he thinks … I’m doing something wrong or I’m not doing it the way I should be doing it. … I always look forward to Memphis coming.”
A day after Memphis helped, Evers Dairy completed the 3,000 acres of corn silage they chop for their 2,600 cows. They also farm 3,000 acres of hay ground. All feed goes back into the cows. Evers Dairy is a family operation, with about 20 Evers family members part of the dairy.
Though Memphis lives in town, he goes to Evers Dairy or to his grandparents, Jim and Deb Franke’s farm on the weekends. He has helped with feeding calves at Evers Dairy and has seven Simmentals at his Franke grandparent’s farm, which he shows.
At home, he has a play farm that covers the kitchen table, counters and even the garbage stand. Tracy cooks in a small corner of the available surface area. The kitchen space is easily accessible to Memphis and keeps his collection of multiple sheds, semis, choppers and other equipment out of the hands of his younger sisters, Mabel, Brooklyn and Georgia.
Tracy said Memphis told her he dreams about farming at night, then wakes up and plays farm and then gets to go on the farm.
Kevin and Tracy are thankful Evers Dairy welcomes Memphis to be part of things.
“Everybody here is so great with it,” Tracy said. “I’m very grateful that they give us the time.”
Philip regularly calls to tell them where the field crew is working in case Memphis can come out.
“Obviously he’s got limitations,” Tracy said. “He can’t do a lot of things other kids can. … You start thinking outside the box a little bit and realize there’s no reason why he can’t do the same stuff that everybody else loves.”
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