Grainswest - Spring 2025

Spring 2025 Grains West 32 FEATURE I n the fall of 2021, I started a farm partnership with my cousin Bennett Bayes that neither of us had expected or planned. We grew up on family farms in the same area; my mom and dad farming east of Three Hills and his parents running a farm and feedlot on the other side of town. We were both in our 30s and farming full time on our respective family farms when a breakdown in family relationships made it untenable for him and his wife Kendra to carry on with business as usual. They had their own land and some equipment but could no longer access the components integral to grain farming such as seeding equipment or a farmyard and shop necessary for a base of operations. I had contemplated how to grow my farm sustainably. I believed my farm demonstrated sound business principles. We attracted quality employees, maintained our land and equipment, kept an open mind to new farming practices and had a healthy balance sheet. Could I maintain that performance on more acres? I didn’t necessarily want to grow for the sake of growing, taking on extra stress for a goal that might not bring happiness. I oƒen thought I would like to partner with another young farmer who perhaps did not have enough land to farm independently. Instead of buying or renting more land and hiring more employees, I hoped to work alongside a fellow owner. This strategy seemed like a healthy way to spread the strengths of our farming business to more acres while sharing the burdens of ownership. When I learned that my cousin and his wife needed to find a new way to farm, I approached them and we discussed the possibility of working together. We offered to custom seed Bennett and Kendra’s acres in the spring of 2022 and to give them the use of our shop for a custom day rate. We established hourly labour rates for if and when we worked for each other. Each farm retained control over agronomy and grain marketing decisions. Everyone agreed the following crop year would be a trial, and if it didn’t fit for either party, we would part ways without ill will. Ahead of spring of 2022 we held meetings with the combined operations team of the two farms. Nervous energy brimmed for all involved. From the point of view of my farm, we were adding 50 per cent more acres using the same drill. Our land base was previously spread over a 25-kilometre stretch and that distance doubled with the addition of my cousin’s acres. Despite the expansion, we seeded the crop in a timely fashion. My cousin and his wife purchased their own combine and acquired a truck and trailer to haul grain. When harvest rolled around, we combined together when it made sense. For example, when the peas were mature and timely harvest was essential to maintain good quality, we joined forces. We also split up and managed our own acres at times. Aƒer a successful 2022 crop year we agreed to follow the same formula in 2023. In the summer of 2023, we decided a larger drill would be optimal, and we made our first joint purchase. We agreed on the model and price range, and my dad and I drove nine hours to inspect the drill we eventually bought. Bennett was on vacation at the time, but over the phone we told him we thought it was a good purchase. He trusted our judgment, and I can easily foresee a time when we may have to rely on his. We split the purchase price and maintenance cost of the drill and other jointly owned equipment roughly to match the percentage of acres each of us contributes to the farm. So, if one party farms 30 per cent of the acres, they pay Partnership i practic An unexpected family farm evolution By Sarah Weigum • Illustration by Darya Shnykina