b'GROWERSPOTLIGHT C&T Reynolds FarmsManitoba Farm Family Welcome Fifth Generation HomeThe Reynolds brothers are working with their kids to transition the family farm. BY: MADELEINE BAERGFOURTH-GENERATION MANITOBA farmers Conway and Troy Reynolds are living the multi-generational farm life so many farm families dream of. As March slowly warms towards April, the brothers are currently preparing to plant potatoes into the same sandy prairie soil that their great-grandfather homesteaded over 100 years ago. Even better, their own childrenConways 21-year-old son Blayne and Troys 25-year-old daughter Becky, are right there beside themeach having decided last year to return home to join the family business. Its good to have the kids back, thats for sure. Its nice to have them actively involved rath-er than acting like employees, Conway says. Conway and Troy Reynolds operate C&T Reyn-olds Farms, a mixed operation near Carberry, Man. which includes 1,300 acres of potatoes under irrigation, and 12,000 acres of grains, oilseeds and pasture for their 400 head of cow/calf pairs.(L-R) Conway, Betty, Blayne, Becky, Angie and Troy Reynolds, run C&T Reynolds Farms, a mixed potato operation near Carberry, Man. PHOTO: CONWAY REYNOLDSThe potatoes, except for a small plot Becky and Blayne took on last year, are all contracted to thecold, translating to heavy spoilage in the bins.got into farming, we definitely werent checking local McCain Foods plant, conveniently located2019s harvest conditions were so terrible thatirrigation and storage from a cell phone. Theres just seven kilometres from the farm.half the Reynolds potato crop never made it outa lot more scientifically-based decisions on It wasnt a given the fifth generation of theof the field. The 2020 crop, though better thaninputs. And variable rate irrigation, variable rate Reynolds family would choose the farming path.the years previous, suffered yield loss becausefertilizingthats not coming, its here.Instead, Becky initially had her sites set on beingof the late-starting spring and an early arrivingWhile Conway doesnt describe the family an agronomist, while Blayne intended to be anfall cut growing days on both ends.as on the leading edge of tech uptake, theyre accountant. However, after completing a coupleBut, says Conway philosophically, Thatsdefinitely open to technologies that improve their years of their respective college programs, eachfarming. Hopefully itll be better this year. productivity, efficiency and profitability. The decided to give the family farm a go.The Reynolds family has been farming pota- Reynolds have been using variable rate fertilizing Though Becky and Blayne are only one year intoes since Conway and Troys dad and grandpa,for over five years. Drones are used to capture so far and no long-term decisions have been madeHarry and Delbert Reynolds, first planted themfield imagery for yield mapping. They built a new, yet, Conway hopes they choose to stay.in 1965.high tech storage facility in 2019 and invested in It was a bit of a surprise when they decidedThe potato plant, it was Carnation at thea one-pass planterno hilling required, last year. to come backwe never just assumed it. Buttime, got built in 1962. My dad figured it wasAnd yes, all kinds of monitoring and manage-weve always hoped that one or more of thema new opportunity so he gave potatoes a try. Itment now occurs via their smart phones. That would want to take over after all our hard work.was a sideline, just a small part of their farm.said, Conway knows new technologies will never They see its a good life and a good business. And at the time, there was no storage involvedreplace good management.Mother Nature has sent some extra challeng-just dig them and deliver them and get paid. What do I recommend for Blayne and Becky? es in the last couple years to many CanadianA whole lot has changed since then.Im telling them to stick to the basics. Dont growers, the Reynolds included. Their 2018 potatoThe biggest thing Ive seen since I startedget too overwhelmed or distracted with all the crop was compromised by late season rain andin 1992 is for sure the technology. When I firsttechnologies. You gotta get the basics right. 56 SPUDSMART.COM SPRING 2021'