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Dairy farmers named Sask. Outstanding Young Farmers

Dairy farmers named Sask. Outstanding Young Farmers

The Lovichs have a 70-cow operation near Balgonie, Sask.

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A farming couple from Balgonie, Sask. have been named Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2021.

Michael and Jessica Lovich received the award during the Saskatchewan regional event on June 22.

“It was pretty cool and definitely an honour,” Jessica told Farms.com. “It was very humbling too because we’ve gotten to know some past winners. To be included in that kind of company is special.”

Lovich family

Michael and Jessica Lovich surrounded by their children Reata (left), Raelyn (behind) and Renelle.

Both Jessica and Michael grew up on dairy farms in Alberta and briefly farmed with Michael’s parents. In 2015 the couple moved to Saskatchewan to start Lovholm Holsteins.

The 70-cow operation focuses on breeding conformationally superior animals.

“That means we’re breeding for traits in their conformations (like) good feet and legs, superior udder quality and other functional traits of a cow and what they look like because longevity is one of our focuses here,” Jessica said. “We also select for some production traits when we’re breeding.”

In their six years of farming in Saskatchewan, the Lovichs have tried to diversify their operation.

Some areas of diversity come from the dairy herd.

“We sell genetics, raise replacement animals, sell embryos or live animals,” Jessica said. “Our kids are the other driving force of diversity on the farm.”

Michael and Jessica have three daughters: Reata, Raelyn and Renelle.

And the young farmers are wanting to raise livestock of their own.

“They have a small herd of beef cattle they’re raising and last year they invested in pigs, so we’ve got a handful of pigs that (the girls) sell to friends, neighbours and family right now,” Jessica said.

In addition, the Lovichs put an emphasis on ag education.

The farm has hosted virtual school tours during the pandemic and hosts in-person tours when allowed to do so.

Showing kids how food gets from farm to table is important because these young children will grow up to be consumers, Jessica said.

“We know there’s a disconnect today and it’s important for people to understand the industry and how food is produced,” she said.

As important as how food gets to a table is finding out why farmers make the decisions they do.

Not all farms are the same and it’s okay to ask questions, Jessica said.

“There’s a reason why a farmer is doing something the way they are,” she said. “It’s important that we as farmers explain these decisions so people can have all the right information they need.”

Jessica and Michael and honorees from six other Canadian regions will compete for the title of Canada’s Outstanding Young farmers in December.


Trending Video

The Investment Opportunities of Industrial Hemp

Video: The Investment Opportunities of Industrial Hemp

The fledgling U.S. hemp industry is decades behind countries like Canada, France and China, but according to impact investor and this week’s podcast guest, Pierre Berard, it could flourish into a $2.2 billion industry by 2030 and create thousands of jobs.

To reach its potential, what the hemp industry needs most right now, Berard said, is capital investment.

Last month, Berard published a report titled “Seeing the U.S. Industrial Hemp Opportunity — A Pioneering Venture for Investors and Corporations Driven by Environmental, Social and Financial Concerns” in which he lays out the case for investment.

It’s as if Berard, with this report, is waving a giant flag, trying to attract the eyes of investors, saying, “Look over here. Look at all this opportunity.”

Berard likens the burgeoning American hemp industry to a developing country.

“There is no capital. People don’t want to finance. This is too risky. And I was like, OK, this sounds like something for me,” he said.

As an impact investor who manages funds specializing in agro-processing companies, Berard now has his sights set on the U.S. hemp industry, which he believes has great economic value as well as social and environmental benefits.

He spent many years developing investment in the agriculture infrastructure of developing countries in Latin America and Africa, and said the hemp industry feels similar.

“It is very nascent and it is a very fragmented sector. You have pioneers and trailblazers inventing or reinventing the field after 80 years of prohibition,” he said. “So I feel very familiar with this context.”

On this week’s hemp podcast, Berard talks about the report and the opportunities available to investors in the feed, fiber and food sectors of the hemp industry.

Building an industry around an agricultural commodity takes time, he said. According to the report, “The soybean industry took about 50 years to become firmly established, from the first USDA imports in 1898 to the U.S. being the top worldwide producer in the 1950s.”

Berard has a plan to accelerate the growth of the hemp industry and sees a four-pillar approach to attract investment.

First, he said, the foundation of the industry is the relationship between farmers and processors at the local level.

Second, he said the industry needs what he calls a “federating body” that will represent it, foster markets and innovations, and reduce risk for its members and investors.

The third pillar is “collaboration with corporations that aim to secure or diversify their supply chains with sustainable products and enhance their ESG credentials. This will be key to funding the industry and creating markets,” he said.

The fourth pillar is investment. Lots of it. Over $1.6 billion over seven years. This money will come from government, corporations, individual investors, and philanthropic donors.

The 75-page report goes into detail about the hemp industry, its environmental and social impact, and the opportunities available to investors.

Read the report here: Seeing the U.S. Industrial Hemp Opportunity

Also on this episode, we check in with hemp and bison farmer Herb Grove from Brush Mountain Bison in Centre County, PA, where he grew 50 acres of hemp grain. We’ll hear about harvest and dry down and crushing the seed for oil and cake.

 

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