29 The Business of Ontario Agriculture Better Farming | May 2024 busy. Nick and Joan still own two farms and live on one of them. Their children own most of the equipment now, but they still help with field work and hauling grain. “Our farm has evolved over the years,” explains Crystal, whose family cash-crops, has a broiler chicken barn, and a cow-calf beef herd. Crystal’s husband Ben also works off-farm as a paramedic. “The chicken broiler farm is relatively independent of everyone else. Ben’s parents help with the cow-calf herd because Ben had beef cows growing up, and Ben and I each do our own set of bookkeeping.” Crystal’s family also owns the plow, cultivator, roller, manure spreader, and baler. Brian’s family has broiler chickens, grows crops, and owns a grain elevator with his brother Murray. “For crop work, we do more of the planting, spraying, and field-type work. Another part we are working on is getting grain into elevators and bins and getting that grain dry,” says Brian. Murray also owns the combine and trucks the grain. David owns and farms three farms and lives on one near his family. He grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. With the ability to share the workload, David’s family members do his field work while he’s at his full-time offfarm job with the local school board. Education, both formal and on the farm, has been a substantial part of the longevity of the Whyte family farm. Four generations, including Nick, his parents, four siblings, his four children, and four grandchildren, have attended the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agriculture College. Many of his grandchildren have attended other agriculture-related programs at post-secondary schools. “They all have ideas for new things to try, so we are looking to them to help us determine what we can do to make the farms more sustainable,” Crystal says of her children. “We are quite excited for them to bring their knowledge back and incorporate it.” What’s your crop rotation? Nick Whyte: We mostly grow corn, soybeans, and wheat. Our daughter Crystal and her husband Ben also have some hay and pasture. We often plant cover crops after wheat – mainly oats, clover, sunflowers, and peas. Sometimes the cover crop is baled and fed to cattle. Crystal Whyte: We grow the same rotation. Brian Whyte: We focus on corn, soybeans, and wheat. What is your favourite thing about being a farmer? Nick: There are many things I like about being a farmer. One is the intergenerational involvement with my parents, my wife Joan, my four children, and 10 grandchildren. Farming is a vocation and lifestyle and I enjoy it very UP CLOSE Ben Driscoll and Crystal Whyte also have a herd of beef cows. Crystal Whyte photo
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3