TURIN, Alta. – John and Sheila Juhar’s connection to the land stretches back to the late 1920s when John’s family settled in southern Alberta.
They hope that connection remains unbroken when their sons Jeff, 5, and baby Jason are making career decisions.
Equal partners on their third generation farm near Turin, this couple sees their community shrinking and farms expanding as more farmers retire and fewer young people move in to take over.
Death of the little guy
“I think we’re going to see more corporate farms, more colony farms. I foresee the smaller farmer is just going to dwindle off,” said John.
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The farm is a combination of irrigation and dryland. Farming with John’s parents, they raise cattle and a range of crops including wheat, barley, peas, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets and pedigreed seed.
Diversification is the norm for southern Alberta. The food processing industry is active and the multi-million dollar cattle and hog industries demand large quantities of high grade barley and alfalfa. Both are sure further diversification and value-added enterprises will continue with the termination of many farm subsidies like the Crow Benefit, that paid part of the costs of shipping prairie grain to ports.
The subsidies won’t be missed.
“We had to get out of subsidies and compete on the global market,” said Juhar.
Looking forward is part of the family business plan.
“I’m always looking two or three years ahead. What I’m seeding today, I’m already thinking about next year … because of weeds, water or what is happening in the world,” said Juhar.
Know what’s ahead
“Before any seed is put in the ground about 40 percent of the crop is hedged. I know what I’m going to get for it. I make sure it’s under contract,” he said.
Part of that attitude extends to their keen interest in research and development where they co-operate in farm implement testing and certified seed programs.
Expanding the farm is another part of the future. Faced with variable commodity prices, the Juhars feel they have no choice but to grow. Larger means more efficiency.
“What we used to do 10 years ago we’ve doubled that now with our equipment. It’s not just size of equipment, it’s efficiency of the equipment,” said Juhar.
