Grainswest - Fall 2024

“There weren’t a lot of custom operators out there at the time,” he said. “Of course, all our equipment was not with the high-tech GPS of today or anything else. You sort of sprayed by seat of your pants.” The family relocated to the Olds area in 1989. The sheep farm they bought was a brief experiment. “You buy them high and you sell them low, so that didn’t last very long,” said Caskey. Looking for work in the winter of 1990, Caskey stopped in at a nearby hay plant where he met Schmitt. He enjoyed the entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm of his Saskatchewan-born boss. “He’s a hard-working man, an honest man and very easy to work with,” said Caskey. A famous Barr-Ag story concerns Caskey’s first day on the job. As the lore goes, he began simply as a broom pusher and gopher. However, throughout the day, two separate pieces of machinery broke, both of which he fixed. By the end of day one he was plant supervisor. Over the years, Caskey has watched Schmitt’s five children grow from infants to seeing a few become successors in the family’s hay export business. To Caskey’s liking, these were busy years during which he helped operate the farm and hay plant. During a few summers, he also helped manage the irrigation system at the Siksika First Nation. Sixteen years clear of age 65, retirement still hasn’t crossed his mind. Up until last year, he oversaw dispatching of trucks at Barr-Ag, something he’d done for almost a decade. “I enjoyed working for Barry so much because it wasn’t a boring job, it was a challenge,” he said. “I never even thought about it. After 34 years, it’s kind of hard to drop and walk away from it.” He continues to work in the shop and office, offering his institutional knowledge to the organization’s 100- plus employees on just about anything they want to know. He also helps to source machinery parts. Caskey said he simply works to avoid boredom. A couple years ago he was waylaid with an illness and forced to dial it back for two-and-a-half months. “I pretty much went out of my mind because I couldn’t do anything.” He also kept his mind sharp and fingers nimble for the last quarter- century with sewing machine repair for his wife’s sewing and fabric shop. “You could never find one machine that had the same problem as the other,” he said. With so much specialized experience, he has developed more than a few opinions about sewing machine brands. “I didn’t like Singer,” he said. “Sorry to say, but they’re a piece of junk.” His entire life, Caskey has gravitated toward the action. Even though he has scaled back some of his duties, he sees himself as a member of the Barr-Ag team. To contribute is important at any age, he said. “You should be looking for something to do to keep yourself active. If you don’t keep active, you’re dead. When I retire, I’ll be dead.” RICKY FORBES From starring on the hit Netflix show Tornado Hunters to being caught inside the world’s largest tornado, Ricky Forbes has become one of North America’s top storm chasers. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: REGISTER NOW AT albertagrains.com/events THIS IS YOURCONFERENCE. NOVEMBER 27-29 | FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL FEATURE