Children Play a Big Role in Family Farm

Amber and Hailey Spray with their 4-H projects on Triple S Cattle Co. at Hazel Dell, Sask. Triple S Cattle was first registered to represent Brett Spray, his father and brother’s operation. But the name now works just as well for Brett and Krystal’s three daughters, who are living and loving the farm life in eastcentral Saskatchewan. “This is what I wanted — to raise my family on a farm,” said Krystal, who grew up on an acreage near Wakaw, Sask.

The Sprays moved to their farm just outside the tiny community of Hazel Dell in 2008, about eight kilometres from Brett’s parents. They have a purebred Gelbvieh herd of about 70 cows and another 130 commercial cows. In mid-April, seven Speckle Parks, a “retirement” project for Brett’s dad Brian, arrived. Amber, 13, Hailey, 10, and Rebecca, eight, all have 4-H animals on the go. It’s calving season and seeding isn’t far off. “It’s just busy all the time,” Krystal said. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

Brett and Krystal didn’t participate in 4-H when they were growing up, so now they are learning about clipping, showing and judging along with their daughters. They intend to participate in Canadian Western Agribition this fall for the first time for the experience and to get exposure for the Triple S name. They are proud of the knowledge their girls are gaining through the Kelvington 4-H Beef club. “Amber picked out both our new bulls,” said Brett. “I know the genetics and she has a really good eye for cattle.” She also recently won the intermediate category in the 4-H provincial public speaking competition.

The Sprays have had commercial Gelbvieh since 1993 when they bought the first bull to complement Brian Spray’s Charolais cows. For years, Brett worked off the farm on natural gas pipelines and a chance stop one day in 2003 at an Alberta farm led him to buy four open Gelbvieh heifers to start a purebred herd. Three years later, he bought a dispersal of 17 and in 2008

another dispersal of 25 cow-calf pairs. He and Krystal met around the same time — in a bar, the old-fashioned way, she says — and that year they bought six quarters, including their home quarter. “Between 1999 and 2008 we bought 15 quarters of land,” Brett said of the original Triple S team. “We bought my brother out about 10 years ago.”

He said because two of the three of them were usually working off the farm with a road construction company they were able to finance their purchases and do the work required with the cattle. Then, Brian had a stroke and changes had to be made. “We had to get the cattle here,” Brett said. Now the bulls spend their off-seasons at his parents’ and the large herd is at Hazel Dell.

For the last seven years, Brett has been on the farm full-time. He is the rural municipality’s representative to the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and is nearly finished a term with the organization’s mentorship program. “I’ve learned the importance of a strong lobby group for farmers,” he said. “We’re a non-partisan group. No matter who is in government we put forward what concerns farmers have.” Climate change and environmental issues are top of mind at the government level and Brett said it’s the same for producers because it’s in their best interests. “Margins are so slim, the soil and land are all you have to work with,” he explained. He said many of the representatives and board members are younger farmers and represent the future of farming. They need to be involved in organizations that work for them. In his area, there are a number of third or fourth generation farmers who are expanding farms or taking over from their parents. “Agriculture is more attractive now than it was in the ’90s when the big money in oil was the way to go,” he said. Even last year’s drought was felt a little less around the Spray farm, where they received some timely rains to pull them through.

They seed 900 to 1,000 acres each year and silage between 100 and 200 acres depending on the year.

Last year, they put up an extra 40 acres to be on the safe side. This year’s project will be to finish a corral expansion in the yard. The purebreds start calving at the beginning of February and the commercials begin around the end of March. Brett said this suits them in terms of barn space and manpower. They sell bulls directly off the farm. Calves are sold to local stockyards in Kelvington and Yorkton. They have a strong support system with family and friends who can help out when needed. Krystal has worked part-time at the post office in Preeceville for the last 13 years and the girls are in school there, so aren’t always available to pitch in.

In addition to 4-H, they are involved in school activities such as sports and band. Brett grew up playing hockey and can often be found in nearby arenas as a referee. “It’s my way of giving back to minor hockey,” he said. Krystal said the family also likes to go to old-time dances in Hazel Dell where older residents

Brett, left, Hailey, Amber, Rebecca & Krystal Spray on the family farm. enjoy seeing the younger generation learn the old favourites like the schottische and the two-step. Most importantly, she said, their daughters are getting daily hands-on experience at the farm. Reprinted with permission from the Western Producer