Kris and Rhonda Mayerle are Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2008.
The Tisdale couple was awarded the title at last week’s Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina.
The Mayerles operate a 16,500 acre grain and pedigreed seed farm with Kris’s father and uncle, and they run a custom harvesting business.
Kris said it’s an honour to be recognized by their peers.
“There’s a lot of people that could fit into this category,” he said.
He began farming at age 17, renting a quarter from his dad.
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He headed south with a combine a month after graduating from university and has expanded the custom harvesting company to six combines from two. He recently brought in a partner to help out.
“I actually have a foreman now that’s been with me for over 10 years that’s operating the business for me now,” he told reporters. “I can be home in the summer so I can spend more time on my own farm.”
Rhonda said it felt strange the first summer she didn’t go south for harvesting. This is the second time in 15 years that she has stayed home.
But with two young daughters, aged 6 and 1, it would be a lot to juggle.
She spent months cooking in their RV for as many as 13 workers in 38 C heat.
“It wasn’t always fun,” she said. “But it’s what we did.”
Rhonda also does the books for the farm and the harvesting business. Both she and Kris are University of Saskatchewan agriculture graduates.
Kris said it’s an exciting time in the industry.
“In the northeast we came from a couple of years where it was so wet we could hardly put a crop in the ground and now, to be able to take advantage of these high prices that we see now, is a real gain to our operation,” he said.
The Mayerles practise no-till seeding and grow wheat, canola, barley, oats, peas, flax and alfalfa seed. They have also grown specialty oats for gluten-free markets, high protein wheat for Warburton Mills and specialty canola.
With two partners, they’ve grown organic hemp for the past two years.
Between 40 and 60 percent of their acreage is used for seed production.
They also employ four people full time in their seed cleaning plant.
The couple has been involved in many agricultural organizations as well as church, recreational and school groups.
Patrick and Donna Ackerman of Chamberlain were the other nominees this year. They are grain and pedigreed seed growers on 40 quarters of land.
The Mayerles will compete against other provincial honourees for the national title in Calgary Nov. 18-23.
