It is Seeds of Success Day; a look at leaders in the local agricultural sector, brought to you by Libro Credit Union in Exeter, Metzger Meats in Hensall.
A new generation of beef farmers is working to stay abreast of industry development, and a local beef farmer is taking it a step further, dipping his toes into renewable energy.
Joel Gardiner, owner and operator at Ben Gardiner Farms Inc. in Kirkton is a third generation operator on his cash crop, and beef farm – he took over the farm after he finished studying animal sciences at University of Guelph in 2005.
Day to day, his cows are his full time job. He works to keep them fed and healthy with regular checks – and all other operations on his farm revolve around that. With the rhythm of the seasons dictating spring planting, baling straw, and harvest, he generally has his hands full.
Over a decade ago, they installed an anaerobic digestor, which turns manure and food waste into biogas, which he uses to power a generator, putting green energy back into the grid.
He says that he feels very lucky that the farmers that came before him worked to establish the farm and provide him the opportunity to operate it as it exists today, but that the most important thing that he tries to do is continue to grow and change – staying up to date with the latest agricultural sciences and ensuring that they’re raising cattle as efficiently as they can.
When it comes to community, he says that it’s his foundation. Gardiner is adamant that our community is a great place to live, work and play. He says that they try to put their money back into the community as much as possible both personally and professionally – purchasing everything they can locally from farm equipment to groceries.
You can hear it from the man himself – the full interview is available below.
Written by: B. Shakyaver