<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1wimxs_0vuGfp4c00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1wimxs_0vuGfp4c00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Joe Bryce’s winning photo in the Lallemand Hometown Roots, contest shows his son Brenden driving his tractor down the road on his FFA chapter’s “drive your tractor to school” day. The photo was a representation of how far Brenden had come after a traumatic brain injury, Bryce said. Submitted photo</figcaption></figure>A picture might be worth 1,000 words, but in the case of one Minnesota man, it’s also worth $5,000.Joe Bryce of Lowry, Minnesota, was one of six winners of the Lallemand Hometown Roots, photo contest. Lallemand, an animal nutrition company, also chose winners in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota who each had the opportunity to choose a non-profit organization to receive a $5,000 donation from Lallemand.Bryce chose Farm Rescue, a North Dakota based non-profit that helps farmers and ranchers who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster by providing the necessary equipment and volunteer workforce to plant, hay or harvest their crop.Giving back to the agricultural community has been a staple for the Bryce family for decades.Joe’s father Al Bryce has been a long-time Farm Rescue volunteer, helping with harvest and running equipment.If there is a need, Al is there, his son said.It’s not unusual in the agricultural community.“You’re wired to help your neighbor,” Bryce said.Bryce’s winning photo was not only a testament to the vitality of the agricultural community, but also to how far his family had come following his son Brenden’s traumatic brain injury.Initially, he took the photo just to show his son’s therapists the progress he’d made, but it turned into something so much more than that.It was Jan. 9, 2023, that changed the Bryce family forever. Brenden Bryce was 14 when he hit his head while he was at wrestling practice.Everyone initially thought he had a basic concussion, so concussion protocol was followed.But over the next few days, things started to go backwards, Bryce said.Within the first few days, Brenden had a hard time walking and his vision was off. By day five, he needed a wheelchair, vision problems became worse, and he ended up in the hospital in Fargo, North Dakota, for a few days of tests.The family was referred to the traumatic brain injury center at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis.Many times over the next 12 months, the Bryce family would make the 270-mile round trip for Brenden’s physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy appointments.“It was hours and hours of therapy,” Bryce said, each therapist pushing Brenden to make him better and better.Agriculture is everything to Brenden, Bryce said. He had a goal of showing his cattle that summer. So the downtown Minneapolis therapists worked with Brenden, tailoring their programs to meet his goals, including modeling their therapies after barn-based activities like haltering and grooming.Brenden’s hard work in therapy paid off. He was able to meet his goal of showing his cattle that summer. He even picked up some wins with his steer at some of the local jackpot shows.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1gu8iz_0vuGfp4c00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1gu8iz_0vuGfp4c00" width="1600" height="1200" ><figcaption>After a traumatic brain injury, Brenden Bryce’s therapists worked with him on his goals to show cattle, specifically tailoring therapy programs to barn-related tasks, which he was able to replicate at home. Submitted photo</figcaption></figure>By May 2024, Brenden had come a long way. So when the FFA Drive Your Tractor to School Day rolled around and he was able to get on and drive the John Deere 4020 himself to take part, Joe grabbed his phone and snapped the award-winning photo.At first, he said he did it just to show Brenden’s therapists how well Brenden was doing. The photo shows Brenden driving his tractor down the gravel road, the morning sun shining through the trees. When Bryce looked at the photo, he knew it was more than that. He knew it was special.<h2>People are also reading…</h2>It was a picture of how far Brenden, and his whole family, had come in those 17 months.It was a picture of healing.A picture of hope.“It was just one of those moments,” he said of that early May morning.Along with being physically impacted, Brendan’s injury made reading difficult. He could see the words and letters but couldn’t make sense of them. He was eventually given a pair of glasses, not with a standard prescription, but instead with a specialized prism in each lens, which helped him to see the words correctly.In January 2024, Brenden graduated from the traumatic brain injury program. He’s now back in school and fully caught up academically, a junior at Alexandria Area High School.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=199Fvx_0vuGfp4c00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=199Fvx_0vuGfp4c00" width="1598" height="777" ><figcaption>Brenden had a goal of showing cattle the summer after his traumatic brain injury, a goal he was able to achieve. He even won a few of the local jackpot shows. Submitted photo</figcaption></figure>As Joe Bryce looks back over his son’s journey to healing, he is grateful for all the ways his community rallied around the family.He said that he’s always known the agricultural community is ready to jump in and help at a moment’s notice.“But until something happens to you, it’s different,” he said.Being on the receiving end of support made him understand the impact of giving back in a whole new way.“Farm Rescue became hugely important to Brenden,” he said.The organization supports families during tough times, and he hopes the donation can help another family get the assistance they need.Anne Favre, strategic marketing director for Lallemand said giving back is important to the company.“We are proud to be about to start our fourth year with this initiative and are thrilled to have selected winners who truly captured the essence of what this photo contest was about,” she said.More InformationThe following is a list of the five other $5,000 Lallemand Hometown Roots photo contest winners along with the organizations they chose to receive the donation.<ul><li>South Dakota winner James Slunecka chose the Faulkton Area Out of School Program.</li><li>Iowa winner Daniel Barker chose Ames Community School District.</li><li>North Dakota winner Amanda Weyrauch winner chose the Grain Palace Foundation.</li><li>Illinois winner Emily Beaufort chose Urban Growers Collective.</li><li>Indiana winner Tiffany Lorton chose McCutcheon High School Band Boosters.</li></ul>Donations like this are crucial to organizations like Farm Rescue, Dan Erdmann Farm Rescue marketing program manager said.“People wanting to pay it forward are the bread and butter of Farm Rescue,” Erdmann told Tri-State Neighbor.This one was extra special, Erdmann said, as the organization shares a long-time connection with the Bryce family.The family is truly connected to agriculture, “doing the Lord’s work,” Erdmann said. Al Bryce has been a long-time, valued volunteer.“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Erdmann said of Joe Bryce.Bryce is humbled by his experience and said he’s blessed to be able to give back.“A negative thing ended up being so positive,” he said.Melisa Goss, Assistant Editor for the Tri-State Neighbor, is a South Dakota farm girl whose love of travel has allowed her to see ag’s vital impact around the world, from America’s heartland to the rice paddies of Southeast Asia and many places in between. She makes her home in Hartford with her husband, daughter and miniature schnauzer. You can reach her at mgoss@lee.net.</div></body>

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A picture of hope

A picture might be worth 1,000 words, but in the case of one Minnesota man, it’s also worth $5,000. Joe Bryce of Lowry, Minnesota, was one of six winners of the Lallemand Hometown Roots, photo contest. Lallemand, an animal nutrition company, also chose winners in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota who each had the opportunity to choose a non-profit organization to receive a $5,000 donation from Lallemand.

A picture of hope

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