There has been, and continues to exist, a long-continuing stereotype about what grain farmers practise for the wintertime months. I think it can be summed up as "non a whole hell of a lot". A groovy acronym a  cattle farmer once told me was that grain farmers are "Triple A Farmers" – April, August, Arizona. Meaning, you lot work in April through Baronial, then become on holidays until spring comes again. While this trivial slice of alliteration is concise and entertaining, it is far from accurate in today's world.

All the same, most stereotypes practice have some rooting in truth, and this ane is no different. Years agone, most farms were a mix of grain and livestock, partly to diversify their operation and partly because that'due south the fashion information technology had always been done. Our farm was a grain and cattle performance once upon a time, occasionally with some chickens thrown into the mix likewise. Therefore, we were always decorated, throughout the growing season and the winter. Mixed farmers oftentimes looked with jealousy at straight grain farms, since these farmers didn't have to deal with livestock throughout the winter. Looking after cattle during the wintertime can exist exhausting, especially if your cattle calve during this cold and roughshod time of year. When this was yet a very prevalent phenomenon, grain farms were more often than not small, and the farm was half in summerfallow (not cropped) every twelvemonth. So there actually wasn't a whole lot of hauling to practice in those times. Generally speaking, those farms had a pretty quiet wintertime.

Times accept changed…

Things have changed from the sometime days. Today, many farms are legitimate medium-sized businesses with millions of dollars turning over every year. Moreover, subcontract sizes are much larger, and most areas practice continuous cropping to keep tillage to a minimum, then production is considerably greater. These factors combine to make wintertime a decorated time on a grain farm, admitting non as busy as the growing season. If it was, farmers would exist quondam men and women long earlier their time, as you tin simply run that kind of pace for a limited function of the twelvemonth.

So… what do grain farmers practice during the winter?

one. Hauling grain. In a year like this one, there was a huge volume of grain to move, with record crops filling bins, bags, and even making piles on the ground, which is skilful and bad (click hither for more than on 20140104_145702that). Most grain is actually not hauled off the combine. We usually booty effectually 30-fifty% off the combine to the elevators, depending on the year. The remainder is moved throughout the following winter and summer, and for some growers, even longer than that. Hauling grain tin can be a existent project during the wintertime months, with cold, snow, and winds wreaking havoc on moving highway semi trucks around on back roads and in and out of bin yards. Moving snow becomes a major part of every wintertime (unless there isn't much snowfall) and having skillful snowfall moving mechanism is vital. We still have some grain bags left to clean up, merely hopefully nosotros will get them all empty in the adjacent calendar month before the leap cook begins. Yous actually don't want to be cleaning up those things in wet, soggy fields.

two. Budgeting. Winter is the time to crisis numbers; determining the profit (or loss) from the previous year, and compiling a budget for next twelvemonth'south crop to decide which crops to 20140213_144028grow and in what amount. We figure out our cropping mix based on the almost profitable options and practiced agronomic practices. Sometimes, we have to grow a crop at a loss because our country needs it for adept rotation. Even though information technology may cost usa money this year, it will pay off in the long run. Wheat looks unprofitable this year, but it is a necessary part of our subcontract'due south rotation, and therefore is a required crop no thing what the price is. Microsoft's Excel programme is a huge office of my life during the wintertime, and is where I try to calculate our farm's input price down to the nickel. Sometimes, our projections are wrong, so we try not to chase the market also much. Instead, nosotros grow crops we know we tin grow well and that take decent looking price prospects for next yr. Merely, it is a total guessing game, as a atmospheric condition effect anywhere in the globe (or lack thereof) tin can alter our ability to make a turn a profit substantially.

3. Preparing equipment for spring. Our store almost ever has equipment in it, from combines to tractors to semis, where nosotros effort to do as much preventative maintenance as possible to ensure our busy season goes uninterrupted. The more our equipment is repaired during the winter, the less work we volition accept to practise in the growing season, where finding fourth dimension for preventative maintenance and repairs is almost impossible.

4. Booking and purchasing inputs. Once we accept an idea of what crops we are going to grow, we pre-buy and volume the inputs we need, such as seed, fertilizer, and some chemicals. There are usually discounts for doing and so.

5. Meetings. Agriculture is an industry that changes faster than I tin even keep up with, 20140121_101340so going to winter meetings to continue with new agronomic, marketing and business organisation trends is a must. I had the good fortune of attending Bayer CropScience's countdown Agronomy Tiptop in Banff back in November, and I had the pleasure of attending Syngenta'southward Grower University at the Richard Ivey Schoolhouse of Business organization in Jan. Both were excellent and boggling learning experiences that I will benefit from for many years to come (more on those later).

6. Marketing. Don't permit information technology fool you that this is last on this list. This is the most important chore of the winter, and ties together budgeting, hauling grain, and pre-purchasing inputs. 20140213_133226The more accurate our budget is, the better we know what cost we need to sell at to achieve a profit. We also need to know what our greenbacks menstruation needs are to ensure we tin can sell grain at the right times to become our bills paid. Furthermore, nosotros accept to exist able to actually get the grain moved to go our contracts filled, so keeping an middle on trucking capabilities is vital likewise. Finally, subsequently all these needs are met, we try to sell grain at the right times to capture a good cost. Our goal is to sell into the peak third of the market, which is harder than you might think. Markets sometimes fluctuate wildly for seemingly no reason at all, depending on the moods and intentions of big hedge funds and other speculators.

Winter is a time spent in three primary spots: the semi, the shop, and the computer. Each of these tasks is every bit important to make sure all the piece of work gets done right and on time.

However, winter isn't all about work. Despite how busy information technology tin be, in that location is a lot of downtime, too. This is why most of our holidays are during the wintertime months. The growing season is immensely busy and stressful, and winter brings a slowdown in the workload. Information technology is a fourth dimension to visit family unit and friends, a time for (some) needed residual and relaxation, and a time for fun. Despite the cold and the snow, winter is a wonderful fourth dimension to be on the Prairies, with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, beautiful landscapes and decorated small-town rinks with crimper, hockey and snowmobiling.

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Spring will come sooner than nosotros are ready for, as information technology always does. There is a stirring of excitement brewing in the Prairies; winter is start to lose its grip on us, and, even though it is more than a calendar month away all the same, spring is coming. Until and then, I am going to enjoy the rest of winter, from the short days and quiet weekends to curling and snowmobiling; winter is a wonderful time of the twelvemonth, and it oft goes by also fast (except for last year, that is). And, of course, I will be enjoying watching the Winter Olympics. Skilful luck Team Canada!

I am a farmer from near Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. We grow durum, wheat, canola, peas, lentils, and flax. I subcontract with my family unit, including my wife and three young sons, along with several other family unit members. We are a 3rd-generation farm that strives to continually improve - to go out things improve than we establish them. I'm involved in various places in the agriculture industry too to endeavor and build a better future. As a farmer and an agronomist, agriculture, and the science and business therein, is my fascination and my passion. View all posts past Jake