Third-generation farmer Curtis Bowker, son of Mac Bowker and grandson of Ken Bowker, farms northwest of Unity. Although many things have changed in farming over the years, Curtis emphasizes the family farm is alive and well in Saskatchewan.
Although the farms may be larger, they are still often family enterprises. At harvest time, Curtis, wife Carmen and both their fathers will be out in the field combining at one time or another. Meals are brought out to the field where they often eat supper with their five- and two-year-old girls. The girls take a ride or two around the field in the combine or come along in the grain truck. Reflecting back to his own childhood, Curtis remembers his dad, uncle and grandfather all working together, running combines at harvest time.
Asked what has changed over the years, Curtis's first point was that farmers are, and need to be, more business-oriented today. You can't just live off the land, the way pioneers did. Curtis thinks part of the need for larger farms and the business approach arises from the comforts we have all grown used to - things like television, cable or satellite, children's activities, holiday travel and other interests.
Larger farms have meant there is more management involved, including management of employees beyond just having a hired man working for not much more than room and board. With management of a large business enterprise, comes stress. Yesterday's farmers may have had more physical stress, but Curtis believes there is more mental stress in farming today.
A large part of farm management in 2013 involves farmers marketing their own grain, not having a board do it for them. To properly market grain, producers have to know what it costs to grow the crop, the cost of production. Even in the same year, the cost varies between crops and fields.
While there are still a few elevators that want farmers to phone and/or log in to get current prices, for the most part prices are either sent by text to cellphones or looked up online.
Curtis compared being in the shop for two weeks, working on a repair to perhaps save a $1,000 repair bill to the fact that, during that same two weeks, the value of grain in the bins could increase or decrease by many times the $1,000. Knowing the cost to produce the grain, the current price and selling at the right time are critical.
He compared that to the past, when grain might have been sold at a specific time because the farmer thought it was at a historically decent price, because they needed cash to pay a bill or because, with nothing else pressing, time was freed up to haul grain.
Pre-selling is something new. For his father, say in 1973 or '74, the thought of selling something before he had grown it was a scary thought. Meanwhile, Curtis said, "we've already sold some of next year's crop." He noted that, before the crop is planted, he will sell only five to 10 per cent. Then in June or July, perhaps, depending on how things are looking, he may sell a bit more, but only ever up to 20 per cent.
There are also more crops, a larger variety to grow. Curtis said he and Carmen know in October what they are going to grow in each field the next year. Seed has to be ordered and the proper types and amounts of fertilizer sometimes pre-bought.
Carmen added farming today is "less about diversification and more about specialization. If you have grain land, you grow grain."
In terms of actually being out in the fields, earlier generations spent a lot more time tilling and cultivating the soil. "We spray and spray and spray, from the end of April to October." Listing off the different reasons for spraying, Curtis and Carmen included: pre-seeding burnoff, seeding, spraying in crop - perhaps twice - spraying for disease and finally spraying to dessicate, not including spraying for insects some years.
Comparing the total time spent, Curtis thought it might even out since, cultivating had to be done three to four times a year in any field being summer fallowed.
Another change in farming is not only the size of the machinery but also the technology that comes with it. With GPS guidance, farmers don't have to steer in the field, making it easier to work longer hours, and to substitute operators. Carmen added the machinery is much safer today. As well as mentioning the enclosed cabs, she noted combines automatically shut down if the operator gets off the seat.
Today's banking system and access to credit is better than in years past. Carmen wondered aloud whether, despite the fact overall amounts of money are larger, margins were still the same. Curtis quickly pointed out a farmer still largely risks everything, every year.
Curtis's parents, like most parents, wanted what they perceived as a better way of life for him. They encouraged him to go to post-secondary school and he became an engineer. One year in the regular workforce was enough for him and he returned to the farm. He says, although he tried engineering, he always planned to farm. He spent many hours helping out on the farm while growing up and said of his contemporaries, "the ones who helped out more on the farm when younger are the ones who turned to farming later."
Today, as soon as he steps out the door, he's "in the office." While being outdoors is nice, what he appreciates most about farming is the independence - "being your own boss, you get rewarded and punished, sometimes, for your own decisions."
Carmen added, "You know, when you're working your rear end off in the spring and fall, that money's going into your pocket and not some company's pocket."
Curtis's comment, "Yes, it's a business but it's also still a way of life," sums up the approach to farming of the third generation of Bowkers to make their living off the land.
