22 The Business of Canadian Hog Farming Better Pork | August 2024 perage of heat pads and lighting. I can look at my smartphone and check the temperature in Room 17, or see which sows are at which feeder at a certain time of day. The technology these days is just incredible. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned? To not burn any bridges and treat everyone with respect. Relationships are the most important part of our business, whether with staff or dealing with feed, genetics, or drug companies. The hog industry is large, but it’s also small in that we are all connected and need to work together. What is your guiding management principle? I empower our managers to lead and take charge of their sites, and I care about the well-being of every staff member. This operation is very family-oriented. We hold a staff barbecue every year at my place, which includes all employees and their families, with golf in the afternoon. At work, my phone is always on. I want workers to go through their site managers with concerns, but if they have issues that can’t be resolved, I am willing to talk about it. I treat everyone with respect and want to hear their opinions and ideas, and there are no dumb questions. What are some of the biggest farming challenges you face? Besides volatility in the markets, our greatest challenge is that these farms were built in the late 1990s and early 2000s, so keeping up with maintenance and repairs is key. As well, when we started out, there were only 21 or 22 pigs weaned per sow, and now, thanks to better technology, genetics and practices, that number is at 32. In response, we performed a major renovation at our farms last year where we increased square footage of our farrowing crates to provide more room for each piglet. What are the most exciting opportunities in the industry? I am excited to see our staff accomplish great things. We are achieving results now that I never dreamt of when I first entered the industry, and it is intriguing to see the potential and where the pork sector is going. We manage to do more with less as we continue to progress in areas like technology and animal nutrition, and that’s promising for the future. How do you define success? For me, success is about seeing others succeed. I am a hands-on person, but I try to allow the managers to manage, and I love to watch them thrive in their roles, take charge and come up with new ideas. If you weren’t a farmer, what would you be doing? I’ve been a farmer all my life, so that’s a tough one. My wife and I have a homestead with various species of animals. As well, we started a community garden three years ago, where 20 to 30 volunteers help produce fresh vegetables for local food kitchens and charities. If I wasn’t farming, I would probably be working on that full-time. How do you support your mental health during challenging times? I am a very structured person, and I think that helps with mental health. I start each day with half an hour of exercise and daily devotions to God. During off hours, I try to limit my social media time and eat healthy, though I’m not always good at either one. I also work hard on my relationship with my wife, spend time together, and go mountain biking when I have time. UP CLOSE Outside the Super Gro 1B site. Sheldon Dyck photo
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