Nobody will question Léona Dargis’ commitment to farming. She is a graduate of the agriculture program at Olds College in Olds, Alberta. She was one of three recipients of the Nuffield Scholarship in 2011, which allowed her to learn more about the business side of agriculture. Her family has operated a successful mixed farming operation in northeast Alberta, and now she has taken her interest in agriculture to the Yukon. Dargis was the guest speaker at this year’s
Farmers’ Appreciation Evening on Thursday night at the Beefeater Plaza. She began by paying tribute to Pick Farms Ltd. of Macoun, who won this year’s Farm Family of the Year Award, and the three 4-H speakers – Colesey Goetz, Sasha Mantei and Brody Walter – who spoke before her. “Agriculture is my No. 1 passion, and whenever I’m in a room and surrounded by farming families, such as the one this evening, it just makes me more proud of contributing to food production in the world,” said Dargis. Dargis said her farming story begins with the generation that pioneered Western Canada. Her
great grandparents settled near St. Paul, Alberta, more than 100 years ago. They began with 20 acres of land, and the farm kept growing. “When they put in hard work with blood, sweat and tears, it was a family effort,” said Dargis. Dargis’ parents didn’t inherit land from their parents; rather, they started with land of their own. The operation eventually grew to a couple hundred head of cowcalves. At their peak, the Dargis operation boasted 7,000 acres of pastured and grain land. Dargis was operating equipment from the age of 13. Her family adopted new technology to stay ahead of the curve. “By the time I was 16 years old, dad was looking for my input on what to do to better the farming operation,” said Dargis. “So I felt valued. I felt like I was contributing and I had pride in the work that I did on the family farm.” Dargis described her parents as being visionaries who had an idea of what they wanted to build and grow on the farm. “With that, it took the effort and the hard work of everyone in the family,” said Dargis. They also learned responsibility, respect for each other, communication skills and an understanding of the value of local business. But they also had a
lot of fun. In August 2007, Dargis’ parents and her grandmother were killed in a plane crash. Dargis said her father loved to fly, and she looked forward to hearing the sound of him landing on the grassy airstrip behind the family’s house. A police officer informed her that her parents wouldn’t be coming home. “With my head held high, I gazed upon our farmyard, with cattle in the front pasture, tall grain bins aligned in a row, and freshly cut grass with old and new machinery shops surrounded by the multicoloured fall leaves,” said Dargis, her voice cracking with emotion. Despite all the emotions, and the memories flooding to her mind, she knew that everything would be okay.
Dargis remembers her parents as being hardworking people, but also spontaneous individuals who would set their work aside to enjoy fun activities such as ice fishing. Consequently, she encourages people to say yes when they are asked to do something. After her parents’ death, Dargis’ sister, Lynn, took over the farm. Their other three sisters have an interest in agriculture and growing food, but aren’t on the farm. “Growing up, mom and dad always encouraged us to follow our passions and dreams,” said Dargis. “They didn’t force us off the farm and they didn’t force us to stay on the farm. They encouraged us to live our own experiences and learn from them, and if they didn’t work out, that’s okay. Try something new.” Dargis spent time living on the farm, and then successfully applied for the Nuffield Canada scholarship, which she described as a wonderful opportunity. At the time, there were three scholarships awarded in Canada worth $15,000 each. She described it as an international study that requires travel abroad for at least 10 weeks. She had to write a paper on a topic of her choice, which in her case was farm business, and make presentations to improve Canadian agriculture. “You have access to learn from the top 10 per cent of farmers from around the world, the farmers that are pushing the envelope and succeeding at changing our industry,” said Dargis. “What are the new things, because change is constant? How are we going to adapt and accept it and make the most of it?” After her travels, Dargis came away with several observations about success on the
farm. It needs to be profitable, or there won’t be a farm. Farmers need a business plan, they need to know their numbers, and sometimes they need to make collective decisions on how to succeed. Farmers need to write a will that can be communicated to the beneficiaries, to avoid fights within the family. Taxes need to be paid up. And parents need to remember that equal is always fair, but fair is rarely equal when dividing up an inheritance. “Life insurance is a really good tool where some farm families have the farm that goes to the beneficiaries, or the kids (on the farm), and then life insurance goes to the non-farming kids,” said Dargis. And it’s important to have funeral plans worked out in advance. Dargis also encouraged families to live the lives that they want, so they aren’t preoccupied with their children’s inheritance. “Don’t be afraid of change,” said Dargis. “Change can have such a big impact.”
As for living life to the fullest, Dargis urged the crowd to “pay it forward” by doing something special for someone else. They also need to forgive others, have faith and hope, try to be different, be spontaneous and support and help each other. “We were tremendously grateful for the community support that we received after mom and dad’s passing,” said Dargis. She also encouraged the audience to tell those around them they are loved and appreciated. In the case of Dargis’ family, that included the hired hands. Dargis now resides on a farm in Yukon Territory, where she and her boyfriend have 35 acres of oats. Land isn’t cheap up north, and fertilizer has to be hauled 17 hours up the Alaska Highway to her farm. But she is proud of their land, and what they have accomplished thus far. “The potential for more developed agriculture in the north, I see as limitless,” said Dargis. “It will take a lot of hard work, and I’ll let you know how it goes.”
