Bean field collapses in northwestern Minnesota

Some consider it a geological wonder. A crack in the soil of a bean field in northwestern Minnesota has caused the ground to collapse 25 feet, creating a quarter-mile-long ravine.

Wayne and Erllene Erickson are the fourth generation on the family farm near Climax in Polk County, and say they’ve never seen anything like it, WDAY-TV reported.

“(It’s) kind of scary. It is sad, sad to see it,” said Erllene Erickson as she surveyed the fallen bean field. “Mother Nature does what she wants.”

The fallen land is pushing under the river bank, sending more dirt into the Red River. Wayne Erickson is trying to make sense of what happened on his farm.

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“When I drove out here, it looked like the Grand Canyon. We didn’t have all that slumping going on, it was just straight down. Straight up and down,” Erickson said.

Geologists with the University of North Dakota say the dry weather, a drop in water levels on the Red River and recent rains can form a perfect storm for something like this to occur.

Crevasses are still forming as the land continues shifting. Soil experts were expected to visit the field to study the natural phenomenon.

More on this story — and photos — from Forum and WDAY.