Grainswest - Spring 2026

Spring 2026 grainswest.com 25 “In the collaborative spirit of why we formed in the first place, we actively encourage younger family members to get involved, bring forward new ideas and take ownership, giving them the freedom to be creative.” —John Van Tryp M ost farms evolve on their own, but the five farm families in the Bow Island area that make up Quattro Ventures chose to grow together to take advantage of collaborative opportunities, economies of scale and shared vision. They chose a unique business model that has merged their farm operations. Launched by four families in 2010 and expanded to five in 2018, Quattro defines itself as a farmer-owned joint venture that operates like a co-operative. Land, labour, expertise and decision-making are shared yet allow each farm to remain an independent legal and tax entity. Across irrigated and dryland acres, this large, diversified operation grows more than two dozen crops, from sugar beets and potatoes to catnip and spearmint. “We had the idea that if we combined our skills, our knowledge and our resources we could make an awesome farm,” said John Van Tryp, CEO and a member of one of the founding families. COLLABORATION IN ACTION The mid-’90s was a particularly challenging time for the agriculture industry. In response, a group of 25 Bow Island area farmers formed the Palliser Triangle Marketing Club to share ideas. “There was a downturn, and farming looked bleak at the time, so we formed a group to learn more about marketing and find success,” said Van Tryp. Eventually, the group’s focus shifted from marketing to broader farm management. When talk turned to co-operative agriculture, four member farms put the idea into action. To form Quattro Ventures, seven farmer-owners from the four families spent two years in preparation. To ensure its members were treated fairly and felt comfortable with their individual business arrangements, they carefully negotiated every aspect of operational and management structure. The members identified strong marketing opportunities and the means to create flexible career options for each family’s next generation. To manage the operation, they initially looked outside their circle. However, they soon concluded effective leaders had to be invested in their operational vision and strongly committed to collaboration. The board and CEO would be family members. Van Tryp was hired in 2010, and each family appointed one farmer-owner to serve on the Quattro board. Van Tryp also holds a seat on the board. This management structure allows the farm to effectively leverage the labour, skills and expertise of its owners and hire approximately 100 staff, including full-time, part-time and seasonal employees. These include individual crop division managers for dryland durum and lentils, essential oils (extracted from crops such as spearmint), hemp, irrigated cereals and peas, potatoes, row crops and also seed canola. Because acreage is 60 per cent irrigated, a dedicated manager is also assigned to this section of Quattro. Van Tryp works closely with these managers to oversee operations across 25,000 total acres. Facilities include a central office and processing complex just outside Bow Island as well as multiple shops and bin yards. Early on, as business operations took shape, so too did Quattro’s corporate culture. Because Van Tryp became CEO with limited management experience, he immediately sought leadership training and has since continued his business education. Initially very “hands-on” in his approach, he admitted he has refined his leadership style to better reflect Quattro’s collaborative nature. He now empowers crop division managers with greater decision-making autonomy. He is also open to guidance from outside experts and does not hesitate to bring in industry consultants and services.