Agriculture

Adapting in Ag

Melanie Taylor

Adaptability is essential for farmers. Some industries grow, others fade, markets change, and new opportunities arise. For this reason, several Mortlach area farmers have moved their farms in different directions.

Ian Crosbie has a new vision for his dairy farm’s future – marketing genetics.

“I’m just taking the first baby steps into getting involved,” explained Crosbie, second generation farmer on the 100-head Benbie Holstein farm.

Crosbie invested $13,000 on a calf that will be born from an embryo transplant in the United States this year. This calf should be in the top 99th percentile, meaning it has the highest Lifetime Profit Index. LPI is a genetic selection tool that identifies bulls and cows expected to transmit superior genetics to their offspring. 

Crosbie will purchase semen from a bull in the 99th percentile and artificially inseminate the calf. She should produce a calf that is also in the 99th percentile. 

Today, only purebred Holsteins in the top 99th percentile are worth more money than commercial Holsteins.

Crosbie hopes to sell embryos oversees for top dollar someday.

“I’ll eventually be able to crack my way into the market,” he said.

Like Crosbie, Jon-William and Michael Verstegen have taken a new angle on their farm. Leaning against the corral slabs, they admire a cow-calf pair, just two of their 75 Simmentals. 

In 2003, the brothers and their parents left Ontario for dreams of life on the farm. The boys were in their last years of high school, with little farm experience. From corrals to a new house – they built everything on their home-quarter from scratch. Their first calf was a Holstein steer.

“Oh, we thought we were beef farmers then!” said Jon-William.

In 2008, the Verstegen brothers bought their first purebred Simmentals and christened their ranch Lazy Creek Simmentals.

They made the switch because they didn’t have the resources for a 400-head commercial operation, and the market value was more for purebreds.

“We need to make every buck we can out of a cow,” said Jon-William.

In addition to purebreds, the brothers also purchased sheep, anticipating a rising demand as Canada becomes more ethnically diverse. In two years they have increased their herd from 30 to 400 ewes.  

The Verstegen’s are attending Agribition in Regina for the first time this year to market their herd. They are building a new shop and barn this year, and next year hope to begin construction on a new yard for their sheep.

“We haven’t been able to live too extravagantly in the last few years, but this is what we love,” smiled Jon-William.

Dave Grajczyk of Gray Char Charlais is also adapting to changing times. After almost 40 years of breeding purebred Charlais, Grajczyk began organic grain farming in 2004. 

Grajczyk bought 10 old combines. He operates three of them and uses the rest for parts. The total investment was only $10,000. 

“I’m a 1950s farmer,” he explained.

Today the grain is his main income. He makes more money per bushel and his input costs are lower because he doesn’t spray. 

After successfully betting on organics, Grajczyk now takes risks on crops like hemp and camelina.

There is no market for camelina in Canada. It is in the process of being approved for human consumption by the Canadian Food Inspections Agency. If it passes, Grajczyk will have the product for sale.

He also started breeding Red Charlais. His 70 purebreds are one of the largest herds in Saskatchewan. 

But trying new things is nothing new on the prairies. Producers have always been innovative when it comes to change, according to Kevin Hursh, professional agrologist and certified agricultural consultant.

“Producers have been adapting throughout history. They see an opportunity and decide to move in that direction,” he said.

Grajczyk knows sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. 

“You have to have a certain personality to shrug your shoulders and move on if you make a mistake,” he said.                            

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