ABOUT US
Scott Beaton
I grew up in Rosser, Manitoba, and spent most of my summers working with neighbors on their farms. I thought I'd like to be an agronomist by the end of high school - when every young adult is best positioned to make a career choice, and was off to the University of Manitoba to get a degree in Agriculture, focusing on agronomy and a minor in biosystems engineering. After school, I went to work for MacDon in their engineering department testing prototype equipment prior to its release. After a few years travelling, I thought I should go be an agronomist since I had gone to school to do so.
As it turned out, my first year working as a real agronomist was a wet one. By August, I didn't think that spending more money on inputs was going to help any of my customers. My boss disagreed and the following day I was back helping a neighbor instead of selling someone something they didn't need.
That fall, I bought my first piece of farmland, with the idea that everyone farming in our area didn't need to be on the same treadmill; spending money on inputs, and working in a farming system where big business makes all the money. Many farms throughout the Canadian Prairies operate on very thin margins leading to extreme financial stress and instability in rural communities. I wanted to demonstrate that maybe it didn't have to be that way.
For the first few years, I farmed conventionally, using integrated pest management principals, and trying things like intercropping to reduce costs, while improving per acre returns with a little extra management. In 2012, I picked up some more land near Balmoral, and in 2013 I started transitioning to organic production as a means to reduce reliance on chemical, external inputs, and improve profitability rather than give it all to agribusiness. By 2018, the whole farm had been converted to certified organic production. I have been working with the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation for more than 15 years as a conservation specialist working on soil-based carbon sequestration, wetland restoration, shelterbelts and other special projects aimed at protecting and improving wildlife habitat and water quality on private farmland in Manitoba. In 2023, I will harvest my 15th crop, and I am still not sure whether the system that I have designed is better than what my neighbors do. I do think that it is better for me, and I enjoy the challenges (maybe could use a few less some days) that are involved in producing the food we do.
Jenny Yoo
I grew up in northern Virginia (just south of Washington D.C.) and never did I imagine I would end up living on a farm in Manitoba. I graduated from James Madison University, beautifully tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, with a double major in Health Science and Media Arts Design degree. However, just a semester before graduating I realized I'd rather be outside observing wildlife and decided to pursue field biology for several years living and working in various places such as California, South Dakota, and almost every southern state from Texas to North Carolina. In 2011, I decided to pursue a master's degree in Natural Resources Management at the University of Manitoba where for my research I evaluated the effects of gas wells on grassland songbirds in Alberta. I currently work for the government of Manitoba.
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I met Scott in 2012 and in those early years I was mostly just along for the fun times seeding and combine rides. Over time, I observed Scott continually think out of the box and go against the grain and thought to myself this guy is onto something. The first time he grew a hemp crop it was all the fuss with the local farmers as no one had done that in a very long time, if ever. And locals weren't too sure if what he was growing was legal, but of course it was. Scott also received some funny looks when plowing down his green manure and seeding into it one fall, when everyone else was harvesting their crops. I've seen him implement innovative and regenerative practices and continually make decisions that work for the farm, it's soil, and the surrounding ecosystems.
As Scott and I both have roots in conservation, it's nice to know our fundamental beliefs align as they serve as the basis of many decisions for the direction of the farm. I continue to be more involved and gain experience in practices and methods that improve the soil. I can say we will always aspire to be responsible stewards of the land we farm in order to maintain natural ecological systems, protect natural habitats, promote species diversity while growing and providing nutritious food. We hope to be an example that small-scale farming provides both a meaningful and successful livelihood in years to come and future generations.