Mixed Farms
Overview
A mixed farm has crops and livestock on the farm. The livestock chores will depend on the type of livestock that each specific farm has.
These cows are getting fed hay and some grain for lunch today!
Year at a Glance
If there are cattle on the mixed farm, the cows will calve between January and March. The cows will need to be monitored many times during the day and night in case they need help delivering the calf.
This farmer is checking cows during the night to see if any cows are in labour and needing help.
In the spring, farmers put their crop into the ground and begin spraying for weeds. The livestock chores depend on what type of livestock is on the farm (cattle, pigs, etc.). Feeding the livestock and keeping their environment safe and clean is done all year round.
Bales need to be made during the summer months to prepare for winter.
In the summer, the crops are monitored for insects and diseases to see if they need to be sprayed.
Harvesting the crops happens in the fall, when the farmers spend long days getting their crops into the bins or the elevator.
This combine is harvesting this crop and dumping the grain into this grain cart.
In the winter, grain is hauled to the elevator and inputs are bought for the upcoming year. Winter is also a good time to explore new research and technologies that might be helpful on the farm.
This farmer is transferring grain from the granary to the semi-truck so it can be hauled to the elevator.
In 2016, there were 34,523 farms (of any type) in Saskatchewan. The number of farmers under 35 years of age on these Saskatchewan farms is rising every year!
This father and son talk about how much they love the way of life farming a mixed farm.