Seeds of Success
Seed Processing in St. Joseph, Manitoba, Canada
Running an agricultural operation in Manitoba’s Red River Valley can be a mixed blessing. In some years, and especially the spring of ’97, the river’s life-giving waters can be transformed into a mighty torrent rushing north to Lake Winnipeg, flooding all in its path. But in those years when Mother Nature is a little less extreme, the region thrives as a checkerboard of rich farmland of unsurpassed fertility.
The Parent family are an integral part of the Red River Valley’s agricultural community. After farming for many years in the vicinity of St. Joseph, Manitoba, Norbert Parent Snr. embarked on a new venture in 1967 when he began cleaning seed grains on the second storey of a machine shed on the family farm. Two years later, work began on a new building that would serve as a full time seed plant. In 1971, Norbert’s son, Ron Parent, took this family-operated seed cleaning business in hand and began to fashion a side-line venture into a multi-faceted processing operation.
A growing interest in the production of special crops coupled with expanding export market demand created new opportunities for the company. In 1980, a special crops program was instituted and this product line added enough workload to keep the processing facility operating 24 hours a day for most of the year. In the early ’90s, inroads were made into sourcing product out of Saskatchewan and instituting an expanded planting seed program. Norbert and Robert Parent, the third generation of the family to be involved in the business, assumed a portion of the company’s ownership at this time.
“Developing markets and an increased demand for Manitoba products convinced us we should expand our operations,” says Ron Parent, Chief Executive Officer of Parent Seed Farms Limited. “We knew there was a demand for processed, ready-for-market, edible beans but no one in Manitoba was serious in this line of business.” In 1994, Parent Seed Farms hired Peter Klippenstein, an experienced bean trader, to manage the edible bean program – a new direction for the company. Plans were conceived for a specialized bean processing facility.
“There was simply no one buying beans to be processed through a specialized facility within our province,” says Parent. “We had to look to the other provinces and to the United States to find the expertise.” Despite the challenges encountered in pioneering this enterprise, Parent was convinced that his company was on the right track. “The good producers were looking at specialty crops and we looked closely at the bean market and saw that the current production was being exported. We felt we had a golden opportunity to add value through processing.”
Some careful planning was necessary before Parent Seed Farms initiated such a major expansion. “We wanted to build a specialized facility to address the market requirements for the various bean types,” says Parent. “The challenge was not only to build the right facility but also to identify markets and develop a strategy to actively participate in those markets.”
In 1995, the new bean facility became a reality and 14 new employment positions were created, making a total of up to 46 employees. Not content to rest on their laurels, the owners of Parent Seed Farms believe that diversification is an ongoing process. “All around us, there are a wide variety of crops and as many opportunities,” says Ron Parent. “You have to identify those opportunities, take some risks and be ready to tread in areas where no one else has gone.”
Parent Seed Farms is a prime example of a Canadian agricultural operation which has prospered by being proactive. “Historically, we have always been primarily producers, allowing others to process our goods,” say Parent. “But there is always room for additional processing. The possibilities are there, we just have to take the next step.”
“Taking the next step is also evident in Parent Seed Farm’s application for International Standards Association (ISO) 9001 certification. “We are seeking formal recognition of our commitment to provide consistent quality products all over the world,” says Parent.
The Value of Quality
Parent Seed Farms has a wide variety of equipment on hand, much of which has been designed in their on-site service shop. Rollie Parent, the maintenance manager, is concerned that all mechanical aspects of the plant’s operations run smoothly. “We have equipment to separate mud from beans or peas, machines that separate split beans from whole beans, others that separate big beans from small beans, and equipment that polishes ready-for-market beans.” Other aspects of the operation include cleaning seed grain, treating grain for diseases, and bagging products for shipping.
“A large portion of the plant runs round the clock,” says Rollie, “so equipment downtime is very costly for us. We have been a Power Up customer since 1993 – they provide quality products that give us peace of mind.” Rollie uses NNL 690 boundary lubricant in his motors to guard against the possibility of contamination in the oil and to prevent overheating. Thixogrease multi-purpose grease and R.C.L. 1000 and Penetrating Fluid 2000 are also used widely in the plant. “We’ve noticed results on some gears that we had to change every six months or so,” says Rollie. “Since we started using Power Up, we haven’t had to change them once.” Parent Seed Farms is dedicated to quality in all aspects of its operation which makes Power Up lubricants the products of choice.