Brothers who raise cattle and run a beef marketing business in Alberta, and a couple that produces berries and horticulture crops in Quebec, were chosen as national winners at the 2024 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) Program held in Lethbridge, Alberta, this past weekend. Daniel, Lorin, and Barry Doerksen operate Gemstone Cattle Company at Gem,… Read More
Category: Farm Profiles
For Brenda Simeon, it all started when her father decided he wanted a farm sign. He had seen signs while travelling in Western Canada and decided it was time to make one for his own farm in Ontario. That sign went up 40 years ago and launched a business that now sees Simeon crafting and… Read More
Six new inductees have been announced for the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame. The range of experience of these six individuals is an example of just how diverse agriculture is and how many changes have occurred in the span of a generation. Chantelle Donahue, a farmer and vice-president for Cargill, has been a leader in… Read More
Each year at Canada’s Farm Progress Show, Saskatchewan’s newest Outstanding Young Farmers are chosen. This year’s honourees are Jordan and Jennifer Lindgren. The Lindgrens farm at Norquay, in the northeast part of the province. Jordan grew up there and always knew he wanted to farm. Jennifer grew up on a mixed farm at Whishart and… Read More
London, Ontario-area dairy farmer and Real Ag contributor Andrew Campbell is at it again (or still!), launching another online ag awareness project for 2017. Following up on his work with #farm365, he’s planning to visit and shine a spotlight on 52 Canadian farms in 52 weeks. “I thought it’d be kind of neat to start touring other… Read More
Dairy farm expansion typically focuses on adding more cows to increase production. That’s certainly the case for Monkton, Ontario-based producers Rick and Theresa Portena, but the Portenas also want a better opportunity to milk cows themselves. In this inaugural episode of Real Agriculture’s Dairy School, the Portenas’ share the strategy on why they invested in… Read More
What’s it like to have 2,000 consumers show up for breakfast at your farm? It’s not that big of a deal if you’re organized and have plenty of volunteers, says cash cropper and dairy farmer Evert Veldhuizen. He and his brother, Jan, hosted the latest Ontario ‘Breakfast on the Farm’ event Saturday morning at their… Read More
Just days after debuting as the first Manitoban to compete in the Winter X Games, Josh Penner was back in the shop on his family’s farm near Letellier, Manitoba getting combines ready for the 2016 growing season. Penner was one of eight competitors to qualify for the freestyle snowmobile event at the X Games — the pinnacle of… Read More
By Dave McEachren, McEachren Seeds, Glencoe, Ont. It was 1945, and my grandfather was purchasing his first farm. The 100 acres of southwestern Ontario clay-loam soil was much like the land his father before him had farmed. The man he bought the farm from warned of the trouble with modern tractors. “Don’t go buying a… Read More
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s Young Leaders program provides invaluable mentoring partnership opportunities for young entrepreneurs involved in the cattle industry. Ryan Beierbach is one of those young leaders that benefitted from the program. Ryan lives in Whitewood, Saskatchewan where he operates both a ranch and a ranch supply store as well as serves on the… Read More