THE VAN DE LIGTS
PHOTO BY ANTHONY HOULE PHOTOGRAPHY
For our latest farm family portrait, GrainsWest visited the van de Ligts whose farm was established as a dairy operation in 1960 near the north-central hamlet of Jarvie. Fred and Rita began farming in 1974. Their sons and their wives, Donald and Maya, with Mitchell and Kayla, represent the farm’s third generation.
The rotation
The family’s dairy operation was sold and transitioned into a feedlot and cow-calf operation in 1990. Over the past 15 years, the family has significantly expanded grain acreage of barley, canola, fall rye and oats. Their commercial herd is largely Angus and Simmental cattle. They background their own calves and offer custom feeding.
Division of labour
Family members step in where needed, with responsibilities guided by individual strengths and passions. Donald and Mitchell also operate a custom silage business. “During silage and harvest, our seasonal crew and local helpers are the
backbone of our operation,” said Donald.
Claim to fame
“We take pride in growing the feed that fuels our cattle. As a full-circle beef and grain operation, everything we do is driven by hands-on farming,” said Donald.
Farm succession
“Succession isn’t just a transfer of assets for our family, it’s a transfer of values, responsibility and respect for the land,” said Donald. “By gradually shifting management and financial decisions to the next generation, we’re building confidence, ownership and long-term stability.”
The 2025 harvest
Despite drought-like conditions, the farm’s diverse soil types contributed to a solid, average crop.
Cereals choices
Having grown AAC Brandon wheat over the last decade for its reliable, consistent performance, the family plans to trial new varieties. Consistently happy with its yield, they grow Sirish feed barley as well as Coalition, which combines well and
produces good silage.
They have also grown CDC Cowboy feed barley and have tried CDC Renegade for its high silage tonnage per acre.
Cereal plans
Canola, wheat and barley form a three-year crop rotation. Barley for silage plays a key role as cattle feed. A top
priority is storage of high quality feed for winter.
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