LLOYDMINSTER – Ben Nelson marveled over the volume and variety of pulses in the Middle Eastern diet during a recent visit to the trading district in Dubai.“In stores here, it would be hard to find 100 kilograms; over there they’d have 80 tonnes sitting in the grocery store,” said Nelson, who operates Great Western Grain and Nelson Seed Farm northeast of Lloydminster with his parents, Bob and Vivian.“We produce all this and other people use it as a staple,” he said. “Canadians don’t seem to want to use that protein from the pulses as much.”At 25, he is easing into selling lentils for the farm besides helping seed one-third of the crops this spring.The Nelsons maintain 2,500 acres of crop and pasture land, operate a pulse processing plant and raise elk for antler velvet and deer and sheep for game farms.Bob, whose big game hides and heads decorate a comfortable log cabin home, started growing lentils when he joined the mixed farm started by his father in the 1930s.A lack of local processing prompted him to build a small plant on the farm in the 1980s to clean pedigreed seed for export. It has since been replaced by a facility that can process 15 tonnes of peas an hour.The plant also spawned the creation of Great Western, a licensed and bonded grain company that processes and exports worldwide.Bob said peas are plentiful in their area, while chickpeas require a longer growing season and lentils don’t set seed well in cooler regions.Vivian said she can remember Bob working around the clock early in their marriage. They now receive help from four part-time and five full-time employees, which gives them time to travel, enjoy a vacation home in Arizona and dabble in real estate ventures.But the BlackBerry is never far from his hip.“He never ignores the operation,” Vivian said.Bob, who has been on trade missions to Egypt, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait, is willing to try new opportunities that come his way. For example, Great Western Grain has added splitting capacity for peas and chickpeas and plans to include lentils in the future.“I do it for value adding on the Prairies and taking advantage of opportunities,” Bob said. “The seed plant was for vertical integration. It puts money into your pocket instead of someone else’s pocket.”Vivian characterizes her husband as a risk taker and multi-tasker.“He can do the work of seven men in one day,” she said.While Bob tended to a steady stream of phone calls, Vivian explained her role as doing, whatever needs to be done, whether its unloading trucks or running for parts.The Nelsons try to be as self-sufficient as possible, installing automated systems in the plant and implementing zero tillage in the fields to reduce the workload.In addition to Ben, who lives on the farm, the Nelsons have two adult daughters, Kate and Jill, pursuing careers off farm.That’s all right with Vivian, who conceded farming can be risky business.“Just because it was our dream doesn’t mean it has to be their dream,” she said.Ben looks to a future in farming, seeing the farm as a good place to live, enjoy the outdoors and raise a family.Neither he nor his father foresee big changes in their operation, but Bob would like to visit more overseas markets.“Meeting face to face develops more of a loyalty from that customer,” Bob said.The Nelsons agree those visits have revealed how business is conducted in the shops lining Dubai’s Souk district and how their seed is sold in bags, blended and sold again by the bag or by the rickety wooden boatload.“They do millions of dollars of re-exports in little tiny shops,” Vivian said.On the home front, Bob would like to see the transportation system offer more competitive rates and wants short lines to operate on rail lines and compete with the big national railways.“Until then, we have two rail lines dictating the price,” he said.Recent economic downturns had little impact on the Nelsons because they deal in the most basic commodities.“As the population increases, demand for food increases,” Bob said. “We should expect to see relatively strong prices that continue to strengthen over time.”Ben believes diversification and innovation are keys to their success.“Some years something works out and others years something else will work out. It spreads your risk a bit. We’re always trying to stay ahead of the game.”
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