Jeff

With Jeff’s family, you’re not just born to farm; you choose to. “My father grew up on a mixed farm,” says Jeff. “He was raising pigs to put himself through school and enjoyed working with them, so he put that in the back of his mind. After he left school, he worked for a feed company, but the calling to the farm was always there.” In 1967 Jeff’s parents bought a property in Huron County. He quit the feed business and built his sow herd to 200 within a few years.

“When dad first came to farming, he liked pig production,” recalls Jeff, “then the genetic bug challenged him. Today our production operation has two herds totaling 3,000 sows. We sell breeding stock, some early weans, and market hogs. We’re constantly adjusting the mix. Times change quickly, and it’s nice to have options available.”

Jeff went to university, thinking he’d be a high school phys-ed teacher. “I wasn’t thinking about farming,” he says, “but it was a bad time to be a teacher. That’s when I realized that the things I enjoyed most about farming were the different challenges you face every day. We were very fortunate that Dad gave us a smooth succession transition — it’s been gradual over 20 years. Dad likes the challenge of pig farming but doesn’t need the final say. At 83, he is our most dedicated employee.”

“I have three teenage daughters, and my brother has four boys, and they can all say they’ve grown up on a farm and know how these things work. All seven of the kids have or have had a role on the farm. From pressure washing, tractor operating, breeding to farrowing, we allow them to learn from the ground up, like their grandfather. From this, some of them are considering agriculture as a career path.” As for the future, Jeff is confident. “At times like this, it’s hard to look ahead, but I’m an optimist,” he says. “There will always be ups and downs. The Canadian pig industry has too many good things going for it. If we do things the right way, we should find a way to move forward and have a good life. ”