RED DEER – Terry Crisp is a man on the move. So are his seed drill, his combine and his cattle.
The Alberta farmer has a main farm at Monitor in east central Alberta, a second farm near Stettler, Alta., a third near Gadsby, Alta., and a fourth at North Battleford, Sask.
The geographic diversification of four farms 434 kilometres apart is an attempt to cushion the cattle and grain operation from drought.
“By operating in four different locations our eggs are not in one basket,” Crisp told a Western Canadian Grazing Conference.
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A drought in the late 1980s impressed upon the family the need for more ways to remove some of the risk from the main farm in Alberta’s dry Special Areas.
The two central Alberta farms at Stettler and nearby Gadsby were added first for hay production and grazing. The North Battleford farm was bought later as a way to avoid pricey central Alberta land.
Even though the drought hit all locations this year, Crisp said the move helped spread the risk.
When grasshoppers cleaned out 1,000 acres of silage grain on one farm, second growth at other locations allowed cattle to graze long into the fall.
But juggling machinery, cattle and feed is not easy, said Crisp, who owns the 35 sections with his two sons.
“Managing the whole aspect puts the test to everyone.”
A reliable highway tractor and equipment hauler became invaluable. Four people on the farm have class one licences that allow them to haul farm equipment between operations.
They have added little extra machinery. When they added the additional 17 quarters of land at North Battleford, they only bought one extra combine, which they didn’t need this year because of drought.
To help spread the risk and manage cash flow, the 560 cows are split into spring and fall calving groups. This spreads the sale of calves over different times of the year and doubles the use of their bulls. They also have a 700 head feedlot to allow them to background or finish their own calves.
“Our livestock and farm gives us different options and income streams,” Crisp said.
