YORKTON — The Farmer Recognition Award was presented to the Brett and Rebecca Callin family at the grain show reception Thursday as part of the 36th annual Grain Millers Harvest Showdown.
“It was definitely a surprise,” said Brett Callin in an interview.
Callin said he recognizes there are many “great people in the community,” so to be selected for the award was “a great honour.”
The Callins operate a third generation farm in the Saltcoats district. His grandfather was on the farm just after the war in 1946, with his father taking over in 1976, while also working with Farm Credit Corp.
Callin said his taking over the farm was always part of his plans.
“I was wanting to be a farmer,” he said.
Under Brett and Rebecca Callin the farm is a mixed affair, although he admits his interest skews to the cow calf side of things.
“Cattle are definitely what I enjoy more than grain farming,” he admitted with a smile.
Callin said working with cattle “you establish an attachment to the cows.”
Of course right now cattle prices are very good, something which also had Callin smiling when mentioned. He said it does make for tough decisions in the sense you can get good prices which might suggest selling down a little to realize the prices, but you still want to maintain the cow herd, if not grow it a little too.
“Grandpa always said sell when they’re high,” said Callin.
In the end he said they’ll likely blend things.
“We’ll probably keep more heifers – maybe cull the cows a little more,” he said.
On the grain side it’s a pretty traditional mix with cereals – which can be consumed by the cows in certain situations and canola.
Again it comes back to the cattle with much of what they do, although Callin said they do try to be adaptive where it makes sense.
For example, they are instituting cover crops which aid soil health in various ways, and they are bale grazing the cows as a way to keep them on the land and self-spreading nutrients.
The farm is also a good place to raise a young family of three aged four-to-12.
So does dad see his children taking over the farm one day?
“I don’t know. Farming has changed so much. I just don’t know,” he said, adding there are options for them to be involved in the farm sector without actually farming themselves.
The Farmer Recognition Award is sponsored by Fountain Tire Yorkton and is all about celebrating the individuals who pour their heart, hard work, and dedication into agriculture. These are the people who care for the land, support their communities, and keep the spirit of farming strong year after year, noted a Yorkton Exhibition Association Facebook post.
