Dairy farmers Art and Elaine Pruim are the 2009 Outstanding Young Farmers for Saskatchewan.
The Osler, Sask., couple accepted the award during the Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina June 19.
An emotional Art Pruim, a third generation dairy farmer, said their parents told the young couple to spread their wings so, in 1998, they moved from British Columbia and purchased two irrigated quarters.
They established Matvale Holsteins and Plum Blossom Farms with 100 cows and are now milking 400 head three times a day, making it one of the province’s largest operations.
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They seed 1,400 acres to alfalfa, barley, corn and oats and buy any required grain. They own about two-thirds of their land and 960 acres are irrigated.
“Our greatest love is in the world of genetics,” Pruim said. “We do a lot of work in some of the embryo transfers and trying to build a really strong registered dairy herd on our farm.”
They also supply embryos to the export market.
A new challenge is the addition to the herd of about 20 Jersey cows.
The farm employs five full-time and two part-time workers. Last winter, the Pruims went to the Philippines and hired four veterinarians or fourth-year animal science students with dairy experience to come to Saskatchewan.
“It is my firm belief in the next five to 10 years we will see the majority of cows in Saskatchewan either milked by a robot or immigrant people,” Pruim said.
The Pruims have five children: John, Bradley, James, Nicole and Travis.
The national winner will be chosen in December in Ottawa.
