Prairie farmers who got their seeds in the ground before widespread rain last week must be feeling pretty good right now.
Drought worries that caused frown lines on faces in early spring are in full retreat. Now we’re nearing that magic window in the crop year where bumper crops are possible, where grain prices look good and no yield is yet lost to freakish weather, hungry insects or nasty plant diseases.
Gary Thorsteinson of Foam Lake, Sask., is one of the people who are feeling good about prospects. He and his father, Dan, wrapped up seeding on 6,200 acres last week, just before the rain began. Gary said he can’t remember when the pastures on their farm have looked so good, so their 400 head of cattle will make good use of it.
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There is much to be grateful for, and Gary told me last week that there’s one person largely responsible for his positive outlook on life and on farming.
“It’s my dad. It’s because of him that it works,” he said.
“Dad is 61, and I can count on one hand the number of days I’ve been up before he is. Dad is the calmest guy you’ll ever see … He lets me blow up and have my tirades and he just smiles and says ‘well, we’ll get it all figured out’.”
Gary, now 32, started riding in the tractor with his dad at about the age of five and always knew he wanted to farm. He was ready to plunge in right after high school, but his father urged him to get his degree in agriculture. Turned out that Dad was right, said Gary.
“I really love farming with him and I really appreciate having him around.”
These days we hear a lot about rural youths moving to cities and about people who want to farm but can’t afford to get into it or stay in it.
Less frequent are stories about successful dual- or multi-generational farming arrangements. But they’re out there.
And on the farm or ranch, it’s usually Dad that makes it possible. It’s Dad who either built or built up the current operation and Dad who works on his own dreams as well as those of the kids.
That’s something to reflect on as Father’s Day approaches.
Dan Thorsteinson will probably get a few presents on June 20 but the really big gift will arrive in August, when Gary and his wife Tara are expecting the baby that will make Dan and his wife Judy into first-time grandparents.
Sounds like Dan and Gary will know exactly how to add another farmer to the fold when the time comes.
