MEET OUR GROWERS
NORTH PADDOCK FARMS LTD. The Davie Family Alison Davie - Board Chair
MD of Taber 3rd Generation Farmers Alison & Michael and family
Crops Grown: Crops Produced: Potatoes, Timothy Hay, Hybrid Seed Canola, Wheat, Flax, Faba beans, Garlic |
1. How did you get into potato farming?
I grew up on our family farm and we started growing potatoes for McCains in 2000. After university, the opportunity came to take over the farm from my parents, so in 2013 Michael and I moved back to Taber. We have since expanded to grow potatoes for Lamb Weston as well.
2. What do you love about potato farming?
I love being outside and watching the crops grow. It’s very rewarding to try new things and watch how your management practices can affect the crops you grow. Also, the potato industry is an exciting industry to be a part of. It’s nice to work with peers who have the same passion and drive, and are optimistic about the future of agriculture.
3. How long have you been growing potatoes?
Our farm began growing potatoes in 2000 so coming up on 24 years.
4. What other activities are you involved in (outside the farm or organization work)?
We have two young kids so their activities can keep me pretty busy when I’m not farming. We also enjoy getting to the mountains and travelling overseas.
5. What types of on-farm sustainability practices do you employ?
Sustainability is something that encompasses the whole farm. From soil and plant health, to profitability, the sustainability of producing a crop and having a rewarding business is always front of mind. A lot of our sustainability practices stem from becoming more efficient. Whether it’s more efficient usage and placement of inputs, utilizing data and forecasts to determine pesticide applications, or re-nozzling pivots to use less water. In the past few years we have put more focus on cover cropping on our farm to prevent wind erosion.
6. What do you contribute to tell your “story” of agriculture to the public?
Teaching others about farming and where their food comes from is a passion of mine. On our farms’ social media pages, I share what is going on at our farm at any given time. I also share in schools as part of the Classroom Agriculture Program.
7. What is the best farming advice you’ve been given?
Don’t forget to enjoy it. Farming can be very busy and stressful at times; it’s also not one of those jobs you can easily step away from, so when I need a break I enjoy jumping on my motorbike and go crop scouting.
8. What are your concerns for the future of farming?
My immediate concerns for the future of farming is our water supply. Every aspect of our farm relies on water, and we need to be able to mitigate as many risks associated with that as possible. Another concern is labour. People don’t tend to gravitate to farming, unless they have been raised on or around it. As more people move to urban centers it will be a greater challenge to attract them to work on farms.
9. What excites you about the future of farming?
I love that the possibilities are endless when it comes to farming. There are so many ideas when it comes to new practices on the farm, value-add opportunities, and advances in technology. If I’ve learned one thing in the last few years, it’s the value of agriculture and how, no matter what, people have to eat, so it will always be an industry that is in need.