18 Story Idea? Contact Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Pork | June 2024 UP CLOSE In an age when few of us live and breathe our work, the members of Fairlane Colony, Alta. are a breath of fresh air. Honest labour is in their blood, and Steven Waldner is no exception. Located 80 km southeast of Lethbridge, Alta. and established in 1986, this mixed farming operation boasts 37 families, 158 members and a firstrate hog business. Waldner and his crew take great pride in their 360-sow farrow-to-finish operation and the exceptional meat quality they produce. “The pig diets consist of mostly homegrown grains, wheat, and barley,” says Waldner. “We purchase the rest of the micro and macro ingredients from trusted suppliers that have a good quality control program for the ingredients they sell.” As is standard in the colony, Waldner began working at age 15, doing everything from picking rocks to dealing with dairy cows and chickens. It’s a practice that gives members a real breadth of experience and ensures that they know their stuff when it’s time to start a full-blown role. For Waldner, that role was hog boss beginning in 2008. “My oldest and youngest boys work with me on the pork side, while the middle boy helps with the ducks. It’s a good system and a great place to grow up.” Waldner and his wife Laura have been married for 19 years and have three boys and two girls: Aaron (18), Naomi (16), Joas (13), Rylan (10), and Annie (7). Where do you market your hogs? We ship to Maple Leaf in Lethbridge. I believe it is the only federally inspected hot-skin (a unique process that affects meat quality) plant in Canada. Their approach makes for a superior product, as it promotes firmness, good colour, and white fat. What are your roles on the farm? There are three full-time guys in the barn, including myself and two cousins. It’s an older barn, so a fair bit of manual labour is needed. I manage the breeding, marketing, and multi-species on-farm feed mill. I’m also responsible for the sourcing and purchasing of all ingredients, as well as batching and sequencing feed. If anything needs fixing, I tend to that with the help of my co-workers. Describe your office or workshop. It is located right in the feed mill, yet it doesn’t stink, so that’s a plus. I’m not a neat freak, but I try to maintain a ‘EAT MORE PORK!’ No time off, no problem for this Alberta producer. By Geoff Geddes Waldner Family photo Fairlane Colony, Alta.'s Steven Waldner loves feeding the world and raising his family on a farm.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3