REGINA – Norman and Laura Shoemaker were given the nod to represent Saskatchewan at the national Outstanding Young Farmers competition in St. Hiacynthe, Que., in December. Now in its 27th year, the program honours Canada’s best young farmers.
The Mossbank couple were nominated along with Kevin and Christina Elmy of Saltcoats and Larry and Coralie Spratt of Melfort.
The Shoemakers established Shoemaker Agro in 1999 and grow grain on 5,440 acres. Producing cereals, canola and pulses and occasionally flax and sunflowers, the couple became pedigreed seed growers in 2002. Since then they have established their farm as a licensed bulk storage facility.
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As third generation farmers the Shoemakers have expanded and modernized their farming operation to include the latest in seeding and spraying technology. A 100 foot air drill and sharpshooter spray system, both guided by a GPS driven auto-steer system, reduces operator fatigue and operator overlap, improves crop response and saves money on inputs, Norm said.
The Shoemakers rely on soil testing and strong records. Computerized bookkeeping ensures efficient financial management of the farm.
Norm and Laura have opted to rent 80 percent of their land, choosing to separate the business from an investment in land, said Laura.
In 2005 the couple completed their environmental farm plan that included the cleanup of fuel storage on the farm.
In developing their capacity for grain handling, they have added 62,000 bushels of aerated grain storage, a 95 foot truck scale and 375 tonnes of fertilizer storage. Norm recently attended the University of Saskatchewan’s agribusiness entrepreneurship program while Laura completed a two year certified financial planner program at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology.
They have two children.
Runners-up Kevin and Christina Elmy of Friendly Acres Seed Farms Inc. of Saltcoats, operate a 1,440 acre pedigreed seed farm.
Kevin, an agrologist, left his full-time job in 1999 to join the third generation family business.
The farm is broken into small fields, mainly less than 70 acres so the soil and rotations can be intensively managed. Not content solely with the common basket of prairie crops, the couple grows Prairie Red Wheat instead of HRSW. Soybeans, hulless oats, winter triticale and alfalfa have also joined the farm’s crop rotations, said Kevin.
Improving soil fertility and spending regular, weekly shifts in the farm’s office managing sales have allowed the operation to maximize its returns from each crop and acre. They have two children.
Larry and Coralie Spratt of Donaro Farms near Melfort, Sask., shared runners-up status with the Elmys.
The Spratts farm with Larry’s family, operating 5,280 acres of land and 324 head of livestock. The family relies on a wheat, barley and canola rotation along with 960 acres of forages for hay and pasture. They turn 180 acres of cereal into silage each year.
Larry and Coralie’s farm feeds 300 cattle. They have a Maine Anjou and Angus purebred business and sell 20 to 30 bulls annually and attend the fall cattle show circuit.
The Spratt farm has moved steadily to reduce its environmental footprint and improve efficiency. Donaro Farms has implemented six of the best practices outlined in its 2005 environmental farm plan.
A move to direct seeding with variable rate application driven through GPS and based on fertility testing is maximizing farm inputs while controlling costs.
Improved fencing and animal management allowed a 30 percent expansion of the Donaro’s feeding capacity.
Record keeping is essential to the operation, said Larry, who credited a strong understanding of unit costs with providing the farm the ability to maximize returns from high spot prices. They have two children.
