2 minute read
Aviator Farms grounds local pilot
Located northwest of the Border City in Marwayne, Alta., Aviator Farms is a perfect example of country living calling one home.
Owned and operated by Garth George, his wife, Cortney, and their two boys, Kade, 17, and Rhett, 5, the mixed farm produces grain and cattle with Garth, who’s also a commercial pilot with 15 years experience with Sunwing Airlines, taking to the skies during the slower winter months.
There was a point in Garth’s life when he thought he’d never return to the family farm, but after a few career options in different area codes, he found himself back where he started, and loving it.
“I left the farm out of high school as I wanted nothing to do with it and started off in the military, then I flew in the bush for years before living in Toronto and realizing I hated living in the big city, came home to the farm and started farming,” he said.
Between the farm, the kids and his side hustle as a pilot, the fourth-generation farmer, whose wife also happens to be an agronomist, keeps busy throughout the year and noted one of the toughest aspects of farming is staying on top of the economic side of things.
“Keeping track of things like fuel, fertilizer and all other expenses involved is the toughest part of farming,” he said, explaining the way he compares flying to farming.
“With farming, I can physically see what I did that day. I’m working with my hands and actually seeing progress, every day. It’s very satisfying ... flying is an important job, but at the end of the day I don’t have much to show for it ... sometimes I feel like a cab driver.”
When it comes to advice on running a successful farming operation, Garth explained you just gotta roll with the punches.
“You wake up in the morning with a plan and none of that’s going to happen, every day,” he said. “Something’s always going to change, and you have to adapt. Being flexible is key; you have to be able to change directions on a dime.”
