By Clinton Monchuk
My family has been farming in the same area since my grandfather homesteaded across the road from our main farm in 1906. We are proud to grow some of the finest crops in the world, including oats. When you choose Canadian oats, you’re not just getting a delicious and healthy grain; you’re supporting families like mine who care deeply about the land and the quality of what we produce.
What Makes Canadian Oats Special?
The Canadian prairies are perfect for growing oats. Our cool climate and long summer days help the oats thrive. But it’s not just the weather; it’s also the care we put into every step of the process.
Preparing the Land: Working with Nature
We believe in taking care of our land. Our family farm and the vast majority of others on the Canadian prairies use minimal or zero tillage practices to protect and build the topsoil. This means instead of tilling up our soil, we plant the oat seeds right into the stubble left over from last year’s crop. It might look a little messy at first, but this approach has some amazing benefits:
- Less Soil Erosion: The stubble acts like a blanket, holding the soil in place and preventing it from blowing away in the wind. It also acts as a snow catcher during the wintertime and results in more soil moisture during the spring.
- Improved Air Quality: Less soil erosion means less dust in the air. Plus, the stubble helps store carbon in the soil, which is a huge benefit for the environment.
- Water Retention: The stubble also helps the soil hold onto moisture, which is crucial when our temperatures turn warmer with less rain.
- Wildlife Habitat: The leftover stems provide shelter for birds and small animals.
- Reduced fuel: Since we are not tilling the soil multiple times, the tractor only passes over the land once to seed the oats. This results in less fossil fuel usage.
We use a tractor to pull an air seeder to plant the seeds at just the right depth. This ensures they get a good start. We also use top-quality seed varieties that produce high yields and oats that are packed with beta-glucan, a heart-healthy fiber.
Caring for the Crop: A Balancing Act
Our goal is to plant early to take full advantage of the full growing season and spring moisture. We also aim for a good, strong oat stand that’s free from weeds.
I know many people have concerns about glyphosate. Glyphosate is a tool some of us use to control weeds either before planting or after harvest. It helps us save topsoil by reducing the amount of tillage we need to do. This is important because less tillage means less soil erosion, better water retention, and reduced fuel use, which benefits the environment. We always follow the rules and regulations when applying any crop protection products to ensure we’re doing things correctly.
We ensure that any crop we grow for human consumption is safe and meets all requirements laid out by Health Canada. We take a lot of pride in growing safe, high-quality oats for your family and mine. We’re always looking for ways to reduce our herbicide use, but glyphosate is a valuable tool for sustainable farming. At the end of the day, we want you to feel confident that you’re feeding your family a healthy and safe product.
Harvesting: The Moment of Truth
Harvest time is a busy time of year! It’s crucial to get out into the fields when the oats are at their peak quality. Some farmers will use a swather to cut the oats, which allows the crop to dry down evenly. The crop needs to be dry in order to prevent any spoilage. As with other field operations, how we harvest depends on equipment, labour and the weather forecast. On our farm we wait for the crop to be close to dry then combine using straight cut headers (cuts the standing crop and feeds directly into harvester). Purchasers of oats require moisture levels to be 13.5% or lower. If the oats have higher moisture than 13.5%, we are required to dry them with either aeration fans or a grain dryer.
Storing: Keeping it Fresh
We invest heavily in on-farm grain storage. On our farm we aim to have enough grain bin capacity to store about 75% of our expected production. All of our grain bins are steel and connected to sensor technology that monitors the temperature and moisture in each bin. If the oats that we harvest are too high in moisture, we will use a grain dryer that slowly heats that grain, to lower the moisture. If moisture content is close to 13.5%, we can always use large aeration fans connected to the grain bins to push air through the grain and dry it. Having these storage options reduces our risk of having the quality of our oats deteriorate. Another benefit of storing oats is that it allows us to market in other months when prices may be more favourable.
From Our Farm to Your Family
From start to finish, we treat our oats with the same care we’d use when preparing a meal for our own families. In fact, we also eat what we grow and actively search out brands that we sell to! We take pride in what we do, feeding our family and yours.
So, the next time you enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or crunch on a granola bar, remember the families behind those oats. We’re proud to bring you a healthy and delicious grain, grown with care and dedication right here in Canada.
