The spirit of the Saskatchewan farmer was in full evidence last Thursday evening, with one of the best examples being in the form of the Lievaart family of Outram, selected as the Farm Family of the Year.
The Farmer Appreciation Dinner advanced to a grand scale this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the event. About 550 people made their way to the floor of Affinity Place to honour the Lievaarts, listen to motivational speaker/farmer Chris Koch, 4-H club presenters, Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart and entertainers Brad Johner and the Johner Boys.
Newly wedded Hank and Johanna Lievaart left the Netherlands 61 years ago to begin an adventure in Canada’s west. They arrived with a mere $25 and a desire to succeed. The young couple took the train from Halifax to Saskatchewan and got jobs on a hog farm in Yellow Grass and then a seed farm in Outram, saving enough to purchase a half-section of land around there in 1959.
The granary they built in 1960 was first remodeled to become their home and it was there they raised two daughters and a son, Adriaan, by selling cream, raising chickens and hogs and growing crops.
Expansion came in 1972 with a new farm location and another 750 acres. The daughters and sons moved away to seek other professions with their Adriaan returning with a wife in 1978 to take up residence in the remodeled granary where they also raised a family of two girls and a boy.
Adriaan saw an opportunity to purchase land in 1988, so he grabbed it and eventually sold his business in 1992 to devote all his time to the growing farm and the construction of a home, while his wife Rose did the bookkeeping and operated combines.
Their son Justin showed a passion for the profession, too. He completed a degree in agriculture in 2005 and returned to the farm with his new wife and an investment in the growing operation while their daughter and husband purchased another farm near Tribune and another daughter completed a BSc degree in radiology.
The farm now consists of 9,500 acres, but is still treated by the Lievaarts as their family farm, not a big business.
In accepting the award, Adriaan Lievaart paid tribute to his father and mother who were always willing to help others, and he noted how they loved to sail and even brought that passion to the prairies with a large sailboat they would take to Lake Diefenbaker every summer.
“I seeded my last crop in 2009,” said Hank, but he still maintains an interest in the farm’s progress.
Adriaan noted his mother, raised in Rotterdam, Holland, in an arts and musical environment, managed to adapt, even without knowing the new language they found as a young couple in Saskatchewan, let alone the social fabric.
A positive attitude was handed down to the children and grandchildren, and as a result, the Lievaart clan continues today. As, Adriaan noted, it has taken a combination of work and dreams to make it succeed along with flexibility in crop selections.
“We need Saskatchewan-owned farms, or at least Canadian owned farms,” said Adriaan. In accepting the award, he expressed fear that if Saskatchewan-based farmers don’t step up and take command, millions of acres will be sold to foreign businesses.
He said there was a need to retain the Saskatchewan spirit on the farm with those embarking on the profession having, “new hopes, new beginnings, all wanting to hit a home run. You are here because you are survivors,” he told the audience.
In his brief address to the crowd, Stewart paid tribute to provincial farming pioneers who have brought the world canola as well as new farming practices and technologies over the years.
“Saskatchewan was the leading food exporter in Canada last year. Agriculture is so diversified here and it’s a global leader in food security,” Stewart added.
“We now need to maintain momentum with value-added processing and there needs to be public understanding that agriculture is key to the growth of business in this province. It’s the economic driver, and we must work together to get the message of modern agriculture out to the public,” Stewart said.
During the course of the evening, 4-H speakers representing three regional clubs, took a turn at the podium to deliver their prize-winning speeches.
The Benson 4-H Beef Club representative, Ashley Tedford spoke of Saskatchewan’s Dream Team, the Riders, while Browning 4-H Beef Club member Emily Craig delivered words on learning about leadership and living a life of listening and honesty.
Abby Brokenshire of the Outram-Madigan 4-H Beef Club spoke about mental health and the stigmas that are attached to the affliction and the discrimination that must be overcome by those who are challenged with it.
The evening’s program was steered carefully by emcee Alf Tide, who introduced Nathan Wilhelm, incoming president of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, co-lead sponsor of the event, who, in turn, introduced the Lievaart family.
The evening wrapped up with over an hour and a half of music from Brad Johner and three of his sons, with a friend as well as a reunion between Brad and Ken Johner, who had entertained previous Farmer Appreciation events as the Johner Brothers.
