35 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | September 2024 Brendan: I heard a joke the other day. When asked what they do with their free time, 95 per cent of farmers didn’t have an answer, and the other five per cent didn’t know what day it was. We both have young families, so time off is typically a weekend away. We don’t really have hobbies, but we are often just gone for a wedding or reunion or to take the kids somewhere. How do you stay organized? Bryce: We meet every day before we get started, so you always know where you are starting your day, but you don’t always know where you’ll end it. You want to be organized but not too much – you need to be able to adapt. Sharing info is a big way we stay organized. We do custom silage and have four people from four countries. It takes a while – once everyone is on the same page it’s almost halfway through the season. It’s a very complex business and we do a bit of everything. Our main focus is raising cattle for the finished product and everything else supports that. We are also third-party animal welfare certified and have a few things we change for that program. Brendan: We have a big group text and try to share notes on our phones. If we see problems, we write it down and someone can get to it. Technology has come so far that it’s nice we can share notes on the farm, and it’s mainly keeping on top of people to do it. We have a lot of employees, and it takes a lot to get them on the same page. Even if employees come from their own farm, everyone does things a bit different. As long as they have a work ethic, it typically works out. I describe from Sept. 1 to Christmas as a dead run, and we are just trying to keep things going. How do you measure success? Bryce: Pay all your bills, grow good crops and make money. We want to acquire more land and expand the cow herd to keep moving forward. Selling beef at retail is also 100 per cent success to me, so the amount we sell at retail is our major measure of success. That will set us apart. Right now, the cow market is sky high, but when it does come back down to normal, we can stay at that good level and it will set us apart from anyone else. It’s like a mini supply control system. We also bring in cattle from other producers on that program. What we are creating here will be good for other ranchers and farmers as well. To see them do well from what we’ve built is another measure of success. And when you get experienced people from the industry asking what you think, that feels like success. Brendan: Profitability and a little left over to expand. BF UP CLOSE brandt.ca 1-888-227-2638 EVERY DAY HERO. Work on the farm doesn’t stop after harvest, and John Deere compact equipment can take on your task list, all year long. More Versatile Get more out of your machines with Hard To The Core Brandt attachments like buckets and bale spears. More Flexible Brandt offers fast, in-house financing that makes it easy to get new equipment for your operation. More Uptime Brandt keeps you working when the competition can’t with expert support any time you need us.
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