CORONACH, Sask. — The Elders’ purebred Charolais have garnered their share of slaps and banners in the show ring.
“This year at (Canadian Western) Agribition in 2017, we won the Charolais barn and then the president’s classic, which is an all-breed bull calf show,” said Mike Elder.
“We were fortunate to be slapped champion. That was a very proud moment for the farm.”
Mike and Judy Elder co-own Elder Charolais with Mike’s parents, Ron Elder and Donna Ross.
Since starting Elder Charolais in 1991, the family’s purebred operation has steadily grown in size and reputation.
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Mike and Judy’s three children represent the fifth generation of Elders: Cassidi, 14, Keanan, 12, and Klay, 9, attend school in nearby Coronach.
The family grain farms about 3,500 acres and last year’s major crops included canola, durum, kabuli chickpeas and large green lentils.
They also run about 150 purebred Charolais cattle, as well as 100 Red Angus Simmental cross cows that they breed back to Charolais.
Their annual sale of 40 yearling bulls is held in March at their Coronach farm and draws buyers from across Canada and the United States.
“Ron and Michael are exceptional at looking after cattle and genetics and picking out those genetics and trying to provide the best that we can for our customers and aim to use our breeding program to meet our customers’ needs,” said Donna.
Added Mike: “I think where Elder Charolais is today is because of dedication, hard work and pride built up through my grandpa and grandma and then Mom and Dad and then my wife and kids.”
Leading up to the March 22 sale, January and February are some of the busiest months for the family and farm.
Purebred calves are being born and processed daily, bulls and cows need to be fed, as well as a host of other chores that need tending throughout the day.
Weeknights and weekends are also absorbed with the children’s extracurricular activities in Coronach and outlying communities.
“If they’re not playing hockey, basketball, dance or 4H there’s chores to do,” said Mike, who also sits on the Canadian Charolais Association board.
However, the family was reminded last year that hard work can’t compete with what Mother Nature dishes out, and 2017 proved to be one of the more stressful times in the family’s farming history.
The Coronach area was hard hit by drought. Add to that, many crops in the area were hit by a killing frost and severe hail damage in July.
“We got touched by hail on all of our grain land, anywhere from 25 to 100 percent on every quarter. But we have hail insurance too,” said Mike.
“We’re just fortunate in our area where we can grow some lentils and kabuli chickpeas where prices have been at all-time highs the last two years. So even on a year like 2017 with the drought and the hail we still made out OK,” he said.
However, dismal hay production was another story and tough decisions had to be made in July.
Ron said they decided in July that they would either have to sell cows or buy feed. They opted to keep the cows.
Since he started farming in the 1970s, Ron said 2017 was the most challenging year he has ever seen for feed because they had to buy 1,000 hay bales and 500 big square bales of straw.
However, Donna and Mike say hard times have a role to play in life as well as the good times. In fact, they say perhaps struggle is a better teacher.
“You have to remind yourself to be grateful for what you do have, said Donna.
Mike said going through a drought like last year’s helps build character.
“You hope you don’t get them on back-to-back years, but you just deal with it and push on. You do all the work, you do everything right and then Mother Nature just didn’t co-operate. So, you’ve just got to deal with it and put it behind you.
“You can’t change the weather and there’s not one thing I would have done any different last growing season. You put it in the ground again and see what happens.”
