LANGHAM — Getting into farming can be costly for young people and, once in, it requires commitment and focus. Yet farming maintains a strong allure for many who’ve been raised in agriculture.
The technological advances, size of the operations and cost of equipment and inputs have raised the costs of getting established in agriculture.
Mossbank, Sask., farming family Austin Gosling, Kaityln Anastasakis and three-year-old daughter Paisley Anastasakis attended the recent Ag in Motion trade show near Saskatoon to get an idea of the latest industry offerings and how they might be able to help the business in the future.
“It’s our first year coming, checking out the equipment demonstrations, checking out some of the new equipment that’s out there but mostly the technology is our big thing on our farm,” said Gosling.
There is still one aspect that Anastasakis highlighted that isn’t available in the usual nine-to-five workplace.
“He (Gosling) is in the field most of the time and we come out to see him whenever we can, go for lots of tractor rides,” she said.
There are also challenges not seen in a regular day job, said Gosling.
“Prices of everything have been crazy. You’re not buying a seeder for $1,000 a foot anymore, you’re buying a land roller for $1,000 a foot,” he said. “So, equipment prices have been tough and some of the grain prices have rebounded to help but they still fluctuate a lot. Canola was up to $25 (a bushel) and then it was back down to $12 — definitely tougher margins than some past years but, also, we know it’s been tough in the past.”
The 27-year-old Gosling said the advances in technology in farming are appealing, but it’s also creating a gap between himself and his father’s generation.
He's all for anything that makes things run smoother, more efficient. I set it up and service it, that’s my ballgame. I work in tech in the winter so I think it’s a good thing,” he said.
He works as a software developer for ag equipment in his downtime.
The challenge with rapidly changing technology is there are a lot of different systems that don’t always integrate with one another, he said.
Emily Spencer, 25, from Craik, Sask., said she’s thinking about getting into farming and following her father and grandfather’s footsteps after going to school to become a mechanic.
“I’m kind of at a career crisis, so I decided to move back and look into what it’s about a little bit more,” she said. “It’s interesting to see what my family, and my grandpa’s parents have done before…. It’s crazy to see how everything advances.”
While the average age of farmers continues to increase, Spencer said she’s seeing more younger people return to the farm.
“It’s becoming a lot newer profession, a lot newer trade. It’s interesting,” she said. “I’m not sure how much into the business side I like it, but I am by trade a journeyman mechanic so, working on the equipment and being outdoors is really fun for me. It’s a lot more up my alley.”
She said the amount of investment and risk associated with farming is daunting.
“I don’t think people realize how much time, money, training and learning it takes,” she said. “You have to keep learning — continuous learning. The practice of farming has been around since humans have been. It’s just the changes. You have to adapt to that.”
Malachy Noonan, who farms with his aunt and uncle near Borden, Sask., said he attended Ag in Motion to improve efficiencies at his family’s operation.
“Like feeding cows in the winter. That’s a big challenge for us,” he said.
The size of the equipment makes things easier, he said, but at the same time, moving the headers currently on his farm is difficult enough, let alone some of the 45- to 50-foot headers on offer at the show.
“We have 40-foot headers…. That’s even a challenge hauling those things down the road just cause you’ll hit road signs or no one can pass you. You have to find something you can drive around with, without having to put it in a transport,” he said.
With new crop varieties, pesticides, herbicides and other farming products promising great returns, it can be hard to get a handle on what actually works, said Noonan.
“You don’t really know until you’ve tried it. It’s all experimental,” he said.
But whether it’s feed mixers or hydraulic squeeze chutes for cattle, the advent of new technology is having a positive impact on agriculture.
“We still do all our branding the old-school way but processing the calves and treating calves during the year, going through and checking herd health, it’s a lot easier, (with new technology).”
He said treating animals that need medical attention in a squeeze chute, rather than roping each one, is better.
The current average age of Saskatchewan farmers is 56, up from 50 more than 20 years ago.
The cost of farming and difficulties in succession planning are two of the most cited reasons deterring younger farmers from entering the business.
