It was just a text. The setting wasn’t formal. There were no lawyers present. We were in Arizona. The sun was shining. A pot of coffee had just been brewed. My wife, Jamie, was sitting outside reading. I was about to join her. But it was closing in on the eleventh hour and our final […] Read more
Taking that big leap to “landowner”
Choosing to buy land is a big decision. Especially when it’s your first land purchase
To buy or not to buy? The land dilemma
Toban and Jamie Dyck are deciding whether or not to purchase farmland
Fatigue. It’s on my mind. It’s the end of March. The snow is beginning to melt. Seeding is around the corner, and I’m struggling to find time. But, that said, it’s exciting to daydream and fast-forward a month from now when full days will be spent outside working, prepping, planting. I’m sure you’re thinking the […] Read more
Monitoring the mainstream media
When city newspapers get ag information wrong, it causes a problem for all of us
Real estate, housing prices, parking, city planning — these kinds of headlines litter my mainstream newsfeeds. Then, out of the blue, a national outlet runs a negative story on GMOs or hormones in beef, or agricultural byproducts contaminating a water or food source. My ag news feed is very different. Its writers know the industry, […] Read more
The power of saying yes to opportunities
Agreeing to try something new, just saying “yes” can bring many benefits — personal and professional
In March of 2016, I said yes to something I knew very little about, something that would take me off the farm. I was reticent at first. I wanted to remain committed to the farm, and I did not want my working away from the yard leave more work for others. I’ve been at Manitoba […] Read more
Crop rotation planning shenanigans
After a couple of seasons on the farm, it’s time to re-consider crop planning strategies
The following is about shenanigans. My shenanigans. But it is also about folklore versus science; coffee-shop advice versus better judgment; the devil on your shoulder versus the truth. Specifically, though, this is about crop planning. And by the end of this piece, I hope we both will have learned something. Because, contrary to the familiar […] Read more
A woman’s place… on a modern farm
Toban Dyck turns the keyboard over to his wife Jamie, to describe her role on the farm
Calgary recently hosted the annual Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference. Women in agriculture is an important topic, and one in which I am wholly unqualified to write about. I would like to introduce you to Jamie Dyck. She and I got married in 2001, outside, in her parents’ backyard, after a three-day deluge. We are in […] Read more
Find your voice in Prairie farm politics
Just a take few steps up toward the microphone, and you can have a say in farm policy
In politics, we as farmers hope for a voice. We want our agricultural leaders to know what it’s like to run a farm; to get their hands dirty. We want our lawmakers to know that good policy comes from having one ear to the field and the other to the barn. And we want all […] Read more
The other side of the trade show booth
Bradon’s Ag Days looks a little different when you wear two hats to the show
I’ve been to Ag Days in Brandon, Man., many times, but never have I attended the show from start to finish, and never have I done so as an exhibitor. I will arrive in Brandon the day before the event begins to setup the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) booth. When I tell seasoned […] Read more
Renting land: Sometimes it all works out for the best
Sometimes renting, farmland or houses, works just the way we’d like it to
My wife and I rented the upstairs of a brownstone house on Palmerston Avenue in Toronto. It was small. It was expensive. But it was an experience we won’t forget. Our landlords were Portuguese. They were elderly. They drove a mid-’80s Mercedes diesel car, tan colour. And they were generous. So generous. When they made […] Read more
Concern about public concerns
Farmers don't generally trust urban views. This won't help us move forward
Recently I was elected president of the Stanley Agricultural Society. The nomination shocked me. The election results also shocked me. It was my first time being the subject of a vote. I sat there, looking around at Society members cast their ballots. My leg was jumping. My heart was pounding. I was sweating. I already […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
