36 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | November/December 2023 FIELD TRIP ‘I’M STILL THAT FARM KID AT HEART’ THE DERY FAMILY LOOKS TO GROW CONSUMER CONNECTION BY COLLEEN HALPENNY PHOTOS BY MATT SMITH Derek Dery, originally from northeastern Saskatchewan, can still remember racing through fields to get a ride on the tractor with his grandfather. “Every day is a day focused on farming. Even as we’ve grown, grown the business, and added new areas of focus, we’re still in the field. I’m still that farm kid at heart wanting to go for a ride,” he says. Knowing agriculture would be his lifelong focus, Dery headed to the University of Saskatchewan, receiving an agriculture diploma, and then combined his farming experience both in and out of the fields. “I was a grain advisor with FarmLink Marketing Solutions, which allowed me to farm and stay up to date with market demands and how we could complement them with our commodities. “After meeting my wife Tricia, we started farming on our own in 2007, and then eventually we took over her family farm located just outside Saskatoon in 2011 and have continued to grow, expand, and hone our skills since.” Dery says their farm has grown to 9,000 acres, with best management practices implemented in their rotations of wheat, canola, pulses and flax. The idea to focus on what they do best, and have a product that could bring others together, sparked the pursuit of a consumer product derived from their crops. “We looked at options of products we could create from our farm that aligned with our values, and the desires of Canadian consumers. “Wheat grows well for us across our land base. So, we decided to focus on it as the primary ingredient in the consumer products we are creating. Our first launched product was a pancake mix, and while it’s been a big learning curve, it’s been a tremendous experience.” While creating their consumer brand, the Dery family also rebranded the farm in 2022 to align with their new vision. Sixteen Grains represents the farm location on Section 16, and the passion and dedication to producing high-quality grains. “While we were creating the consumer product, I left my position at FarmLink to focus on building the brand and getting our launch off the ground. “We want consumers to recognize wheat and connect it with products the same way they do grapes to wine. Eventually we would like to be able to offer additional
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