30 Follow us on @PrairieFarming Better Farming | November/December 2024 KEEPING COMMUNICATION OPEN ‘Defined roles help the family farm run smoothly.’ By Emily McKinlay UP CLOSE Sarah Leguee keeps busy with many off-farm commitments while farming with her family on their grain and oilseed operation near Weyburn, Sask. Sarah farms with her father Russ, her brother Jake, and her brother-inlaw Erik. They also have three fulltime employees and one seasonal employee. Each family member has their own responsibilities in the operation. “We have a fairly rigorous governance structure and very defined roles,” explains Sarah. “When Jake and I first started, it seemed uncommon for a brother and sister to farm together. It was more frequent to see father-son teams or brothers farming together. It seems more common now, but we’ve also added an in-law to the mix.” The defined roles among the management team avoid crossed lines and overlapping responsibilities. Sarah explains the jobs that each family member takes responsibility for. “Jake is the CEO and looks after agronomy, crop planning, and financials. Erik is a journeyman mechanic and looks after the shop and field operations. He’s also the go-to for employees to talk to about jobs for the day. “I look after grain logistics. I manage getting grain moved, any settlements, and grain inventory. We grow five to six crops every year, along with different varieties, so it can be tedious.” She says that her father has been transitioning out of many of his management roles but stays very involved with the day-to-day on the farm. “Dad is in charge of projects like dirt work, moving bins or transporting equipment, and he does a lot of dayto-day operations as well.” In the busy times, the whole family is in the field. “When it’s go-time, we are all in a tractor, sprayer, or combine. Management doesn’t mean a whole lot if the actual work isn’t getting done.” Her sister Amber and sister-in-law Stephanie also help out with office work, picking up parts, cooking harvest meals, and running combines when they're needed. Sarah Leguee farms with her brother-in-law Erik Nikolejsin and her brother Jake. Vanessa Lanktree Photography photo
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