SOMERSET, Man. – The Grenier men are getting ready for the hard work of
spring seeding.
So are the Grenier children.
“They’re crazy for spring,” says their mother Darlene Grenier about her
10-year-old daughter Janine, her nine-year-old son Alcide and her
six-year-old son Christian.
“They don’t want to play baseball in the evening. They want to be in
the field with Dad.”
The Grenier family is committed to farming. They love the farming life
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and intend to keep living it, whether it’s the hard work of taking care
of hogs or the long hours of seeding and harvesting.
“They’ve never missed a meal in the field. Even as babies I took them,”
said Darlene.
“Even when they were in their car seats I’d take them and put them out
on the blanket with us.”
Darlene and Ed Grenier farm north of Somerset, Man., just west of the
escarpment that rises above the Red River Valley, putting them on the
edge of the vast western Canadian plains.
The farmyard where their house sits was established by the original
Alcide Grenier, Ed’s grandfather. Ed farms with his father and his
brother, who both live on another farmyard a few kilometres away.
They farm about 4,000 acres and operate two 500-head hog barns. They
grow wheat, barley and canola, feeding the barley to their pigs. The
pig barn they operate near Ed and Darlene’s house raises piglets from
10 days old to three months old. The other barn, at the other farmyard,
raises them from three months to slaughter weight.
The men keep busy with the farming. Darlene keeps busy in her on-farm
hair salon on the first floor of the home.
She decided on hairdressing because it would allow her to stay on the
farm and work flexible hours. When she began in 1990 she worked about
three-quarter time. Three children later, she is now back in the salon
three-quarters of the time.
Though her children are getting more independent, Darlene never wants
to work at it full time.
“I don’t want it to be any more than now, because I find that if I’m
pulled in too many directions there just isn’t time to be good at
anything.”
Janine, Alcide and Christian all play on hockey teams, which can create
a lot of transportation demands. But fortunately there’s another nearby
farm family that deals with the same situation.
“One of mine and one of theirs goes one way, one of mine and one of
theirs goes the other way, and whoever doesn’t have a game at the same
time hops in with whoever’s going wherever,” said Darlene with a laugh.
“It works.”
The Greniers are also involved with 4-H. Darlene is a local leader who
last year taught sewing and this year taught crafts. Ed helped teach
woodworking.
Darlene’s 67-year-old father has been inspired by his grandchildren to
become engaged in 4-H again and is a woodworking leader.
Darlene said her kids enjoy 4-H as much as she did when she was a child.
Janine likes the traditional female pursuits.
“She’s Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart. She loves making crafts. She
loves to sew. She loves to cook. She loves to bake. She likes playing
the piano. She’s a model child,” said Darlene with a smile.
Alcide has more typically male interests.
“He likes the power tools. He told me ‘I love cutting.’ That’s such a
guy.”
Christian is still too young for 4-H, but Darlene expects he’ll want to
take part too.
Darlene said Ed’s father helped set up a farm that let his two sons
remain farmers.
“His dad has always been not afraid to grow. He’s been ahead of his
time.”
Once he knew the boys wanted to farm, he made sure the operation would
be big enough to be viable in the future.
She said all three of her children are interested in a farming life.
The boys love the equipment and machinery. Alcide often rides in the
combine with his grandfather, something which probably helps increase
his love of living on a farm.
“He’s learning from another generation.”
The Greniers cleverly used their children’s love of farming when trying
to toilet train them.
“That’s how we taught them. We said ‘You can’t go in the tractor or
truck with dad until you’re out of diapers.’ It worked.”
“If the farm is there, and it’s successful, and it’s making money,
chances are your kids will stay.”
