Cody Straza and Allison Squires say developing an organic mixed farming operation in southern Saskatchewan over the past dozen years was a reflection of their values in terms of creating a sustainable farm operation guided by proper environmental stewardship and social justice principles.
Winning a national award recognizing excellence in farm management gave them reassurance they were on the right track.
“It was a tremendous honour,” says Straza, referring to being named one of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) for 2022. “We really didn’t expect to win because there were so many other excellent nominees. Being a national winner not only recognized our farm management, but it was a good day for the organic farming industry — not only in Saskatchewan but across the country.
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“It is a validation in many respects that organic farming isn’t just a niche business but is becoming more mainstream,” he says. “In our farming business, we connect with and learn a great deal from many conventional farming operations. Organic farming is a different production system but we all realize we have more similarities than differences.”
Straza and Squires were named western Canadian winners of the COYF competition at the organization’s national awards ceremony held in Saskatoon, Sask., in November. They shared the honour with Eastern Canada winners Étienne and Guillaume Lessard, two Quebec brothers who own and operate a mixed farming operation that includes a large dairy farm and cash crops and organic pork and maple sugar enterprises.
Every year, the COYF program recognizes outstanding farmers in Canada between the ages of 18 and 39 who have exemplified excellence in their profession while fostering better urban-rural relations. The other regional finalists for 2022 were:
- Ben Campbell, Tullichewan Ranch, Black Diamond, Alta.
- Kristy-Layne and Richard Carr, Rich Lane Farms, Marchand, Man.
- Gurpreet Singh Lidder, Lidder Produce Ltd., Keremeos, B.C.
- Morgan and Karissa Smallman, J & J Farms Ltd., Alberton, P.E.I.
- David and Jennifer VanDeVelde, Wholesome Pickins Market and Bakery, Delhi, Ont.
Organic farmers
Straza and Squires launched Upland Organics Ltd. in 2010 in Wood Mountain, Sask., located about two hours southeast of Swift Current and about 30 minutes north of the Montana border.
Today the farm consists of about 4,500 acres of annual cropping, complemented with a 300-head cow-calf operation. The crop rotation includes flax, lentils, durum wheat, Khorasan (an ancient wheat), sunflowers, camelina, chickpeas, yellow mustard and peas.
The couple met while they were pursuing different studies at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Straza was studying to be an agricultural engineer, while Squires, who was born in Newfoundland and grew up in Guelph, Ont., came to Saskatchewan to finish her studies, obtaining a PhD in toxicology.
“We met at university and I worked for a couple of different companies as an agricultural engineer,” says Straza. “Then in 2010, the opportunity came along to buy a farm in the Wood Mountain area where I grew up and we had to make a decision. Do we stay in Saskatoon, or do we take the leap and go farming?”
Straza and Squires say they didn’t have to think too long — the farming idea clearly appealed to both. They bought a farm close by the family farm where Straza was raised. It had been a longtime beef operation, so in relative terms it was fairly easy to convert that farm to an organic cropping operation without a long delay in obtaining organic certification.
The couple’s farming practices, which include seeding a diverse mix of complementary crops, cover cropping and livestock production, qualified Upland Organics to receive a relatively new holistic standard known as Regenerative Organic Certified.
“It recognizes three main pillars — a commitment to improve soil health and proper animal welfare practices as well as social fairness and social justice,” says Squires. “The farm reflects our values, and since receiving this certification we’ve also have been approached by some markets also looking for those values.”
Production practices at Upland Organics include intercropping, relay cropping and companion cropping as well as some acres seeded to season-long cover cropping. Intercropping can include a cereal crop seeded with a legume to add nitrogen to the soil — lentil seeded with flax, or peas seeded with oats. Relay cropping can involve a spring crop seeded with a fall crop such as fall rye. The spring crop is harvested the first year in September while the fall rye is harvested the following year. Companion cropping might include a cereal crop underseeded to a legume. The season-long cover crops are seeded in the spring and then grazed by livestock. An annual crop is direct seeded into the stubble the following year.
“As much as possible we have worked to reduce tillage and direct seed as much of the farm as (we can),” says Straza.
Squires readily adapted to the farming life and career, and her education in toxicology, which includes chemistry and biology, is being incorporated in Upland Organics. She says they want to keep improving on what they have as well as look to build a more secure supply chain and more local marketing.
Over the years, the couple has established a research component to the farm, collaborating with different agencies such as universities and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in running large-scale field trials. They also have a laboratory on the farm for conducting toxicology and tissue testing. They are also interested in conducting some research in livestock production efficiency.
“Once our family is a little older, my dream is to focus more on the research component,” says Squires. “Both of us are lifelong learners, so we are always interested in challenging ourselves in trying something new.”
Neutral carbon footprint
Étienne and Guillaume Lessard are the fourth generation on their family farm, Ferme Holdream, in Saint-Honoré-de-Shenley, Que., about two hours south of Quebec City. They took over operation of the farm in 2006.
In addition to dairy farming, the Lessard brothers grow 1,700 acres of alfalfa, corn silage, wheat, oats and soybeans. On the organic side, they raise about 3,500 market hogs annually and during the spring maple syrup season they tap 32,000 maple trees.
The dairy operation sustained a major blow in 2018 when fire destroyed the main barn along with 200 head of dairy cows. Fortunately, heifers and calves were in a separate building and survived. They became the nucleus of rebuilding the herd.
With the help of neighbours who housed some of the Lessards’ cattle during the construction of a new barn, the dairy was back in operation one year later. The new facility was designed to accommodate robotic milking technology capable of running 24 hours a day. The dairy resumed production with four robotic milkers along with 170 head of lactating animals and about 280 head of dry cows and heifers.
The Lessard brothers say they are committed to applying proper environmental principles to crop production and manure handling. They also pay particular attention to proper animal welfare practices, reducing the use of hormones and antibiotics as much as possible. They use minimum tillage in their cropping operation and apply manure strategically to help reduce the need for chemical fertilizer. To reduce dependence on fossil fuels they operate their maple sap evaporators with wood-fired burners, and they also heat their hog barn with a biomass-fuelled boiler system. Their goal is to eventually run the farm with a carbon neutral footprint.
Alumni honoured
Two members of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers who have long been involved with the organization were also recognized at the COYF national awards ceremony in November. Karilynn and Ian Marshall from Bowden, Alta., were honoured as recipients of the 2022 W.R. Motherwell Award.
Named after W.R. Motherwell (1860-1943), a Saskatchewan politician who served as agriculture minister at both the provincial and federal government levels, the award is presented annually on behalf of COYF alumni across Canada to an individual or couple who has demonstrated excellence in leadership and dedication to both the COYF program and Canadian agriculture.
The Marshalls, who ran a 300-head cow-calf operation and a 9,500-head feedlot, were named Alberta’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2004. Over the years, they have been active in the COYF organization as well as in many local groups such as the Bow-Inn Beef 4H Club and the Bowden Agriculture Society. The Marshall family is known within their community and surrounding area for helping others when there is an event or when someone needs some assistance.
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program is sponsored nationally by CIBC, John Deere, Bayer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sollio Agriculture and the Canadian National Railway. COYF’s media partners are Glacier FarmMedia and the WS marketing agency, and the program is supported nationally by the BDO accounting agency.
