6 Cover story Leading up to harvest PREPARATION IS KEY Ralph Pearce THE MODERN-DAY REALITY IN AGRICULTURE ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS NO LONGER ONE TIME OF YEAR THAT IS BUSIER THAN ANOTHER. Even winter, long considered the “downtime” for growers, now carries the opportunity for upgrading and learning. Yet, fall harvest is when planting, spraying, and monitoring culminate in revenue earned, testing the lessons learned and incorporated during the other seasons. Arguably, it makes the fall harvest that much more important, which is why being ready for it takes on an added significance. To borrow a phrase that has become part of the industry’s jargon, growers need to “work smarter, not harder.” SIZE IS IRRELEVANT It’s easy to default to the notion that a larger farming operation – or one with grains and oilseeds and livestock or poultry – has a greater challenge than something smaller, but it comes down to managing and finding efficiencies. At least that’s the case for Eric Dietrich, whose family farms near Lucan. He is part of the third generation on their operation, along with his brothers Grant and Jake, who are partners with parents Krista and Hugh. They grow corn, IP soybeans, winter wheat, a small amount of winter barley, and some edible beans, and in recent years, they’ve been working with doublecrop buckwheat and soybeans. For Eric, preparing for harvest means determining the efficiencies on their farm and driving productivity. “We want to maximize our equipment capability and achieve our economies of scale,” he adds. “We run a lean team compared to most other (farm operations), and we run a lean equipment line for what we get across. It’s a matter of organization and a lot of preparation; every move we make, we’re trying to be productive.” When it comes to preparations, Eric says they try to stay three steps ahead of the current season, meaning they’re already working towards soybean and corn harvest as they are taking off their grain. “We try to put it away ready,” he notes. “There’ll always be a few things to finetune, but it comes down to the combine, the harvest equipment, and the elevator; we’re always thinking of our next move.” Each family member has a specific role on the farm, as well. Each is capable of doing any of the jobs, yet each has a specialty. For example, Eric drives the combine and the corn planter, which means he’s responsible for maintaining those two implements. Although there might be one or two other employees or one of his brothers who can help him blow-out or make repairs to the combine, he has to take the lead and ensure either of those is ready to go when needed. Also, there is no such thing as privilege with their farm; there are “good” jobs, and there are “dirty” jobs, but as Eric notes, family members and employees take their turns. It is that dedication and organization that enables them to get more accomplished. “We have certain individuals who are young and keen to put in the hours, and they take responsibility well,” says Eric. “They enjoy what they’re doing, and they’re excited, and they’re invested, time-wise.” COMPETING PRIORITIES Organizing and delegating tasks is also a hallmark with Ian and Scott Matheson, who farm an extensive operation near Lakeside, south of Stratford. Theirs is a complex blend of 1,600 to 1,700 acres of their own cropland, two 350- to 400-sow farrow-to-finish operations, and a 50-cow dairy farm. Their rotation is corn for one or two years, then soybeans, then either winter barley followed by double-crop soybeans or winter wheat and then back to corn. If all that isn’t challenging enough, they also provide custom work and have a crop input business. Defining “working smarter, not harder” isn’t easy for Ian, who says he and Scott try to stand back and look at things from a business perspective versus a traditional, “this is how we’ve always done it” or “this is what someone else says we should do.” “Sometimes, outside the box or against the grain is a better fit,” adds Ian. “And some days, it’s just an uphill battle no matter what.”
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