Since 1981, Oatway’s Seed Farm has been growing and distributing seed from the homestead of Grant and Lois Oatway. The family purchased a farm outside of Clive in 1975 and the business is now run by son Ward, supported by his wife Lori.

Although he was exposed to the farming business after his father started in 1981, Ward initially had no intention of participating. His plan was to pursue a career in law enforcement and to that end, took criminal justice at university. Over a 25-year period, Grant Oatway hosted many international farm trainees. Inspired by this opportunity, Ward decided to participate in a similar agriculture exchange in New Zealand. He describes it as a life-changing experience, as this is when he began to change his course. While working as a summer student at the then "Alberta Agricultural Research Station" just outside Lacombe, he gained more of an appreciation for the industry; 15 years later he was still there as a full-time employee!

This year, Gull Valley Greenhouses will celebrate its 30^th year of business. Phil and Carolyn Tiemstra opened the greenhouse in 1992 after settling in Lacombe County. Taking a departure from Phil’s family industry of chicken farming the Tiemstras dove into beefsteak tomatoes. Since that time, they have added Bok choy, mint, beans, basil, kale, lettuce, and cucumbers.

Today the family grows 12 varieties of tomatoes, in addition to their other products. In total, they will plant approximately 60,000 plants each year which yield 1 million pounds of produce! Their expansion of crops is also thanks to their increased space. Starting with only half an acre in 1992 they are now growing on 4 and a half acres, 1.5 of which is under LED light for year-round growing.

Enhanced Soil – Healthier Crops – Healthier Bottom Line 

For those of us who aren’t farmers, we’ve likely never spent too much time thinking about how to maintain healthy soil or ensure the success of a specific crop. But for Paul Seutter and Pat Sinclair, owners of Premium Foliars Ltd., these are the things they’ve built their business on.  

With over 20 years of experience in the ag industry, Seutter and Sinclair established their business in 2016 and purchased their Lacombe County location a year later. There were a few key things that Paul and Pat were looking for when they purchased their space in the Wildrose Commercial Park in 2017. This location afforded them great exposure and proximity to the busy intersection of Highway 12 and the QEII, making it convenient for receiving their Canadian-made products. 

When Chris and Leah Simeniuk of Kettle Ridge Organics made the decision to transition to organic grain farming in 2015, they were looking for ways to stay viable on smaller acres.

 “We were looking for ways to increase the revenue of our existing acres without necessarily adding more land base. Converting to organic is more hours per acre but so are the returns.”  Although the initial leap was made for financial reasons, they have since found additional motivation to stay on their path.