Table talk topics at Farm Forum hit close to home for conference participants
One of my talents as an adolescent was being able to sleep until noon. It was, at the time, the only real talent I felt confident about. Fast forward to now. I’m 38 and I’m getting up at 6 a.m. to attend a table talk on succession planning at the Farm Forum event in Calgary. […] Read more
What changes will the non-farming public bring ag?
Curators from the Manitoba Museum toured my farm in the fall of 2018. The USMCA had already been negotiated, but not ratified. Glyphosate had already made headlines. So had neonics. And the U.S. trade war with the China and the rest of the world was in full swing. My dad gave them the tour. It […] Read more
Ag is invited to the Global Forum in Toronto, but it takes a seat in the back
What do you think the median salary is in this room, right now?” asked the journalist sitting next to me. I laughed and said a number, but it was probably low by a couple hundred thousand. I was invited to attend and cover the Fortune Magazine’s Fortune Global Forum in Toronto in mid-October. “This annual […] Read more
Farm life brings more and more responsibilities. Only change is predictable
Curveballs are hard to hit, but when you’re given nothing else, you’ll figure out a way. You’ll adapt. You’ll play the game differently. At least, you should. Farming is a continual lesson in this. It’s a day-in, day-out, year-in, year-out lesson in thriving amid constant flux. The weather is different every year and you’re forced […] Read more
Toban Dyck is all in, learning what he needs to know about farming at full speed
I didn’t think to turn on the bin fans last night. I needed to be told. And when my dad asked what I’d be growing next year, it completely escaped me that fall is when I should make that decision. Jamie and I have been on the farm for six years; land renters for nearly […] Read more
The view from the cab during a record-breaking combine feat
I hadn’t intended to break a world record. I hadn’t intended to drive one of the 303 combines that simultaneously harvested a single field north of Winkler on August 4. Neither of these things were on my docket. And both of them happened. “I wonder how many dollars-worth of iron is on this field right […] Read more
A visit to the accountant leads to a new name for Toban Dyck’s old farm
Twitter was helpful the other day. I feel like that sentence uttered in earnest is so surprising and powerful that I could just drop the mic and walk off the stage. But, alas, I will stick around for a few more words. Jamie and I have reached a milestone (of sorts) in our farming story. […] Read more
A new farmer feels the responsibility of signing the papers on his first land purchase
Imagine a boulder. Imagine that boulder is perfectly and delicately balanced on the lip of a large, downward run. The thing that frightens me the most about buying the 80 acres has little to do with the specifics. No. It’s different than that. It frightens me because when I sign those papers later on today […] Read more
Taking time for off-farm pursuits requires a firm mindset and a strong constitution
It’s 2 p.m. Work is winding down. We’re just tinkering at this point, which, don’t get me wrong, is a valuable part of farming. I feel the pressure of a long list of off-farm tasks requiring my attention. I do a dry run in my head: “I should really head inside. I’ve got some writing […] Read more
On accepting a compliment, and never making decisions in the winter
“My sister really likes your articles. She sent me one the other day.” He had one end of a heavy wardrobe and I had the other. We were helping a friend move. The piece of furniture we were tasked to relocate had been mistakenly placed upstairs during the frenzy. It needed to be downstairs, which, […] Read more
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