REGINA — Brent and Pam Sattler of Milestone, Sask. were named the Prairie region’s outstanding young farmers at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina last week.
Both professional engineers who grew up on farms, they have been farming full-time since 1990. Brent purchased his first half-section in 1982 while attending university. After the couple married, they bought the family farm and operated it while working as engineers in Biggar, Sask. for three years.
“It was a lifestyle choice to raise my children on the farm,” Pam said of their reasons for leaving engineering careers. “I found as many challenges on the farm as I had in a professional career.”
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The Sattlers, who have two sons ages three and one, seed 1,600 acres to wheat, flax, mustard, peas and canaryseed. They also own a soil analysis business, which has expanded into consulting and research.
The key to their success is co-operation and paying cash, they said. The Sattlers do their own equipment maintenance, buy used equipment, plan for the long term and buy in bulk.
“Last fall we bought most of our fertilizer for this spring because there was a projected price increase and we figured we saved about $5,000,” Pam said.
Both also say they have complementary talents, resulting in a strong farming operation.
Brent said diversifying is important because today’s farmers “can’t do it like dad did it. I would like to get a positive attitude out there about agriculture.
“There’s far too much negative attitude out there right now. Sure, we’ve gone through some very difficult times but there’s no reason to be down about it.”
The Sattlers will compete against winners from eight other regions across Canada for the national Outstanding Young Farmer award later this year. Three winners will be chosen at Canadian Western Agribition.
