Mother’s Day Q&A with Sheila Hillmer

May 06, 2024

Hillmer farms in Del Bonita, Alta.

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

With Mother’s Day this Sunday (don’t forget!), Farms.com is connecting with ag moms for a Q&A about motherhood, the first moments of holding a newborn and more.

The first mom in Western Canada to participate is Sheila Hillmer (SH).

Along with her husband Martin and their two sons, Keeley (27) and Braeden (25), the family raises cattle and grains in Del Bonita, Alta.

“Keeley is easy going, more outgoing, more social and likes to have a lot of fun,” Hillmer said about her eldest son. “Braeden is much more introverted, has a dry sense of humour and is the quiet thinker of the group.

Farms.com: Describe where you were when you found out you were pregnant for the first time. How did it make you feel?

SH: We had been trying and it happened very quickly. We were at home and I basically felt like I was pregnant. I did a quick (home) test and then went to the doctor. In addition to being excited, I was terrified because I’d never really been around kids before.

Farms.com: Describe the feeling of holding a newborn for the first time.

SH: They took Keeley away and put him in an incubator. When they finally brought him to me, I was excited to have a boy, excited to be a mom and equally as terrified because I had no experience with what I was doing.

Farms.com: What’s the best part about being a farm mom?

SH: Watching the boys grow up living and breathing everything about the farm.

Farms.com: What’s the hardest part about motherhood?

SH: Trying not to be too involved and letting them find their way. When they struggle and you really can’t help the way you’d like to.

Sheila Hillmer and her children
Sheila, Keeley and Braeden Hillmer (Wild M Photos).

Farms.com: What’s a misconception people have about motherhood?

SH: There are too many stories about how easy it is. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and nothing can prepare you for the 24/7 challenge of exhaustion and feeling like you’re failing.

Farms.com: What’s your mom’s name? What are some special memories you have with her?

SH: My mom’s name is Helen. She helped me and my sisters with our kids as they were growing up. It was really special that the boys had her to lean on. Watching her help out with all of the grandkids is special for us.

Farms.com: What’s one lesson you learned from your mom you try to teach your kids?

SH: Hard work and nothing comes easy but you can get to where you want to be if you put the effort in.

Farms.com: How has parenthood changed you?

SH: I was in my 30s when I had kids, and my life was all about me until then. Once I had the boys, everything changed, and they became the centre of my universe. They’re the loves of my life.

Farms.com: What’s one thing all parents have in common no matter where they are in the world?

SH: Learning as you go, writing the rules as you go and figuring it out on the fly.

Farms.com: What’s one piece of advice you have for new moms?

SH: Reach out and talk to people who have children the same age as you. Raising kids is very hard and it’s okay to lean on people and reach out when you’re struggling. You can get overwhelmed and struggle, but you are not alone.

Be sure to check Farms.com often this week for more Mother’s Day Q&As with ag moms from across North America.

Like Trish Cook, a pork and grain producer from near Winthrop, Iowa.

One lesson she learned from her mom is to make time for each other away from the farm.

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.