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Better pork
August 2016
UP
CLOSE
Editor’s note: As a longtime
reader of
Better farming
, I’ve
always enjoyed the Up Close
articles. They’re a chance to gain
a sneak peek into daily life and
farm management with a range of
producers across the province. As
I’ve settled into my new role with
Better pork
and
Better farming
,
getting to meet and interact with
some of our readers, other farm-
ers have shared their enjoyment
of these articles. Consequently,
our editorial team has decided to
feature some of the province’s
pork producers in the newly-
introduced Up Close department
in
Better pork
.
O
ur first interviewee is Steve
Scott, a third-generation Ox-
ford County farmer, whose
family farm includes both cash crop
and pork finishing operations. Dur-
ing our June visit over coffee, Steve’s
emphasis on family, past, present,
and future was clear. His grandfa-
ther, Harry Chattington, was the first
member of the family to farm in Ox-
ford County. The family originally
focused on cash crops and dairy but
they also “had some pigs.”
When asked when he started farm-
ing, Steve responded simply: “when
I started to walk.” He explained his
involvement expanded after he fin-
ished high school. Steve himself “was
a dairy farmer until I was 28 years
old.” But, he said, “With the price of
quota and new buildings, we decided
to make the switch to finishing. The
age of the barns was a contributing
factor. It seemed like a good time to
make a fresh start.”
Steve’s father remains active in the
operation, and Steve said that “the
fourth (generation) is approaching.”
(Indeed, shortly after the interview,
Steve and his wife, Stephanie, wel-
comed the arrival of their first grand-
son, Blake Steven. It is always hard
to know what the future holds, of
course, but the new little one might
ultimately join the family business as
the fifth generation.)
Steve’s passion for the industry
was evident. As our discussion wound
down, he brought up a topic gen-
erating a lot of buzz in the farming
community: social licence, with par-
ticular reference to animal welfare.
(According to the Canadian Federa-
tion of Agriculture, “social license
can be defined as the ongoing level
of acceptance, approval and trust
of consumers regarding how food
is produced.”) He stressed farmers’
empathy towards animals. He said
these intuitions can support educa-
tion and industry adherence to the
National Farm Animal Care Coun-
cil’s (NFACC) Codes of Practice.
Describe your role on your farm operation?
General management. All-round
labourer. General work duties.
Hours you spend in the barn per week?
That’s hard to nail down. It is safe to
say more than 40. But it isn’t all the
same every week; the time commit-
ment depends on a range of activi-
ties, like shipping and receiving, gilt
selection, and tagging.
Farming for the generations
For this Oxford County farmer, hog production became a way to revitalize the family farm and
prepare the way for its future.
by ANDREA M. GAL
Steve Scott