Home on the Range at Soderglen
Cattle Breeding in Alberta, Canada
Small is Beautiful is the title of a book that enjoyed a great deal of popularity in the 1970s. Attractive though this philosophy may be, it is clearly at odds with the realities of modern agricultural production. At the end of the 20th century, farmers must contend with the pressure of market place demands, the challenge of competing on an international stage, and the necessity of making substantial capital investment in state of the art equipment. When it comes to success in agriculture, it seems that small may be beautiful, but big is probably best.
Soderglen is a prime example of the current approach to farming. Located a short distance northwest of Airdrie (a bedroom community just outside of Calgary, Alberta) the farm takes up 7,000 acres of rolling prairie. Jointly owned for the last 10 years by Jane and Stan Grad, and Pat and Willard Walker, Soderglen does everything on a very large scale. A grain operation combined with a highly intensive Seedstock Program provides many efficiencies and allows the double utilization of equipment, manpower, and facilities.
Soderglen’s breeding operation features Red and Black Angus, Charolais, Simmental, Red Max and Black Max. The program is held in high regard by the commercial cattle producers it serves. Much of this good reputation stems from the owners’ commitment to tailoring their product to customers’ needs: “It is no longer a matter of marketing what you produce, but you must produce what you can market. We have to know our customers … they provide us with goals and specifications to target. We think today’s commercial producers are much better informed.” Every year, Soderglen stages a Select Sale where their product is put to the test. This year’s sale features 150 bulls and 200 replacement females.
According to Byron Chase, Soderglen’s Grain Foreman, just over half of Soderglen’s 7,000 acres is under cultivation. “We grow wheat, barley, canola and oats for market and we produce our own grain, forage, and straw for the feedlot and the cow herd as well.” The remaining land is given over to pasture. Seven full-time employees are on the payroll apart from the additional help needed in the summer months.
Byron has been with Soderglen since its inception . In fact, his association with the land goes back even further since he worked 12 years for the previous owners. He lives in a comfortable home situated on the farm with his wife, Joyce, and three hockey playing sons, Jeff (aged 20), Jeremy (16) and Josh (11). An interest in hockey is one Byron’s passions, too, but for the most part his work keeps him “plenty busy.”
Much of Byron’s time is taken up with operating and maintaining Soderglen’s extensive farm equipment. “I guess you could call it a fleet,” says Byron with a laugh. The ‘fleet’ includes five tractors (two 4-wheel drives, two front-wheel assists, and one conventional); a Cat loader; two conventional John Deere combines; one New Holland swather; three trucks (two tandem, one semi); five pick-ups, and assorted mowers and lawn equipment.
Given the variety of work to be done on the farm and the extreme operating conditions in a typical Southern Alberta year, Byron needs all the help he can get in keeping his equipment running smoothly. For the past two years, he has relied on Power Up products to do just that.
Power Up helps and that’s no bull!
For two years, now, Soderglen has been using Power Up’s NNL 690 boundary lubricant and Power Up’s multi-purpose Thixogrease. “We’ve really noticed an improvement in performance,” says Byron. “For example, there’s been a big difference in the powershift on all the tractors.”
Enhanced performance is important but so is peace of mind. “In the growing season, timing is everything. If the weather and conditions are right, you can’t afford to have your equipment let you down.” Byron cites the example of his cultivator — “We used to have to change the wheel bearings three, or even four, times a year. Now we’ve gone two years without a single change.”
Freeing up manpower for other tasks is also a significant consideration. Byron points to his experience with the loader of the 910 Cat. “We have to grease the pins every second day. Before we started using Thixogrease, we found that we couldn’t pump the grease without taking everything apart and cleaning it all first. Now it’s much simpler and the time saving adds up to 90 minutes every second day.” Byron is presently planning a trial run with Power Up’s Gen 49D diesel fuel lubricant. “It can’t hurt to try,” he says with a laugh.