ROUND HILL, Alta. – Humphrey and Terry Banack’s love of farming comes naturally; kind of like the crops they grow.
Humphrey’s great-grandfather was the first Polish settler in Alberta, arriving in what is now Edmonton in 1895.
His grandfather homesteaded the quarter section of land in 1906 where Terry and Humphrey live.
Terry was one of three daughters raised on a farm at Kelsey, a few kilometers south.
“I was the tractor and baler driver,” Terry said.
A few years ago, the couple bought Terry’s family farm as a business and to keep the farm in the family.
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“It was saying we treasure and respect the family farm and believe it should stay in the family,” Humphrey said.
It’s one of three farms the pair operate: Terry’s family farm, the main Banack family farm and the farm owned by Humphrey’s brother, Willie, and his wife Sharla.
Terry said they are able to juggle accounts, seed, money, repairs and fertilizer for three farms because of Humphrey’s obsession with farm accounting and bookkeeping and the ability of the family to work together.
“It wouldn’t work if we didn’t have the immaculate books we do,” she said.
It also works because of each family member’s niche in the farm. An off-farm job means Willie doesn’t have time to manage the farm’s day-to-day business.
Instead, he leaves the daily decisions of what to seed, spray or sell to Humphrey. Willie’s expertise is maintaining the equipment.
Terry is the machinery operator.
“There’s organization skills that each of us have,” Humphrey said.
Each person has a particular responsibility during harvest and seeding.
Humphrey makes sure seed and fertilizer is at the field, Willie makes sure the equipment is greased and ready to go and Terry makes sure the cab is cleaned and organized.
“It’s a matter of knowing what you’re good at,” Humphrey said.
“My brother can sit for hours solving an electrical problem and I’d last 30 seconds.”
Not scrimping on labour, especially during the busy harvest season, is also crucial to keeping the farms working.
With three combines in the field, the Banacks now have six people working during harvest: three combine drivers, two truck drivers and an auger and unloading operator.
They used to harvest with only four people, but it was too difficult. Spending money on labour has made harvest less stressful and more enjoyable.
“Don’t be scared to hire someone to do things,” said Humphrey, who estimates the family spends one percent of its gross sales on labour.
The money spent on wages allows the couple to have a life off the farm and for Humphrey to be president of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers.
Humphrey said travelling across Canada as the Wild Rose leader has given him a greater appreciation for the different aspects of agriculture and their interconnection.
During a meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., with other agriculture producers last fall, he watched Ontario farmers struggling to take off their soybean crop and plant their winter wheat. That gave Humphrey an insight into possible future wheat prices.
Extensive travel with Wild Rose has also given the pair the courage to try different crops.
This year they planted 30 acres of flax and it turned out to be a reasonable crop. As well, after several years of perseverance they think they’ve ironed out some of the difficulties in growing peas.
“You have to be able to adapt to different markets,” he said.
“Everything you try won’t be profitable, but don’t be afraid to try. Don’t grow a crop once and quit.”
Terry said reaching a certain financial stage with the farm has also made farming more enjoyable. They were able to quit their off-farm jobs as their farm became more financially secure and sold their pigs in 2003, which reduced the work load.
Terry quit her job as a piano teacher and joined the rock band Smack Dab as the keyboard player.
“It was something on my bucket list,” she said.
Terry also started a women’s walking group, the Wiggles and Jiggles, in the nearby hamlet of Round Hill.
Using pedometers to measure their laps around the school gym, the women are logging their steps to walk across Canada with their exercise program.
She also started a moms and tots program when her children were younger and this year organized a potluck community Christmas meal.
Humphrey is involved in the local Elks service club and agricultural society.
Family and community play a big role in their lives.
Humphrey’s own parents came from large families and it wasn’t unusual to have 60 people packed into his grandmother’s 900 sq. foot house for special occasions.
When the Banacks moved from their home in Round Hill to the family farm two years ago after Humphrey’s father died, they agreed to host Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the large farm home, but only if everyone pitched in to make meals, clean and organize.
This past Christmas, more than 50 family members ate Christmas dinner with them.
“Family has always has been important to us,” he said.
The couple doesn’t know what role their three grown children will eventually play in the family farm, but are convinced a Banack will live on their century farm in the future.
