Meet farmer Trevor Nolan, whose said that the farm life has helped provide a stable environ for his mental health wellness. He loves the ag life and spoke to Farms.com to help explain why as we celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day, today on February 22, 2022.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Photo via Trevor Nolan
While kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement", what helps farmer Trevor Nolan, 30, get through the day is more of a cow Zen featuring the smiles of his daughters.
The Brandon-born Nolan farms a mixture of cereal and oil seed crops—but mostly barley, wheat, oats, and canola on the 2,000 acres of crop, hay and pastureland on the family-run Nolan Stock Farms in Elkhorn, Manitoba.
To be fair, Nolan himself only owns 320 acres, with his parents owning the rest.
“Along with my two quarter sections, I also have 35 cows and 10 replacement heifers—my folks have 130 cow calf pairs.”
He said that while he is still part of the daily operation of his dad’s farm, he purchased his first quarter of land in 2014, and now farms it and his dad’s property.
Of course, his dad still rules the roost.
“From November to March, my daily work consists of being a gate opener as my dad usually drives the tractor; stringing bales and moving cattle; fixing water bowls; moving feed around and hauling grain to the elevator,” he offered.
From March to May, they start calving, adding to his daily chores—now having to check on the well-being of the cows every two hours throughout the night.
In May, it’s crop planting time added to the daily routine—which also means there’s the greasing of machinery, operating grain trucks, harrowing and stone picking, and much more.
“In June, we start vaccinating cattle and checking pasture fences for them to go graze for Summer and Fall months, and in July we start haying, which consists of cutting the hay, raking, baling and hauling it home.”
The months of August and September are when they start to harvest, but Nolan also must grease the combines, grain augers, baler, and the swather to ensure it all works like clockwork. For October and November, there’s the checking of cattle daily, performing Fall tillage, hauling grain, and then back to the cattle being home and starting the cycle all over again. There are more daily duties of course, but Nolan just wanted to provide an overview for the non-ag crowd.
But would he trade it away for another career? Uh-uh.
“What do I enjoy about the farm life?” mused Nolan. “It’s a question I ask myself every day.
“The reason I ask myself this, is because of the daily financial and mental impact it has on me as I struggle with anxiety and depression. From the ups and downs of grain and cattle markets to input costs and the weather, it can make one feel almost desperate to be anywhere else,” he confided.
“But without the farm, I think I'd be miserable doing any other job.”
He explained that he was involved in the daily operation of the farm from an early age, and that it imprinted upon him the decision to want to farm as an adult.
After high school, Nolan said he tried a few other jobs where the money was good, he realized that none provided him with much of the home life he craved.
In 2014 when some nearby land came up for sale, “My dad told me that if I wanted to start farming, I better start now—because land isn’t getting any cheaper.”’
And that’s when Nolan began farming on his own, increasing his cattle herd size and purchasing more land while continuing to help with his parent’s farm.
“The cattle side of the operation, especially calving season, is the part of agriculture that I've fallen in love with,” Nolan stated. “To see those baby calves run around and helping those moms that can't have their babies on their own, is a neat experience as you help bring life into this world.”
Speaking of which, his fiancé Allissa and he have, as he described them, two wonderful daughters—Dixie, 2, and Lucy, 1. “They are already beginning to see what is included in the daily operation of the farm.
“They’ve accompanied me in tractors baling and stone-picking, and help me drive the combine during harvest,” he expounded. “They love to sit on my lap and “drive” the farm equipment, but mostly they love the cows. To see your little ones’ smile and laugh as the cows run around and get that sandpaper cow kiss really helps brighten my day.”
For those of you nodding your head, you know exactly what Nolan means. “To have my children involved in the farm and to see them love every minute of it as much as I do, makes all the tough times evaporate.
“I hope the farm imprints on them as much as it did me,” he added. “The memories that are made with my children makes the memories of me working alongside my parents and grandpa that much more special. Just as I've carried on the tradition in my family, I like to think they will do the same.
“It’s why, even with my daily struggles, the good outweighs the bad.”
Not to diminish Nolan’s joy from watching his daughters immerse themselves into the farm life, he is aware that agriculture has always been in his blood.
“I always have wanted—and now have—a job that can make a difference in the world, no matter how small of contribution I offer,” said Nolan. “When I stop and think about how my grain or my cattle help feed the world or make help make other products, it fills me with a sense of amazement—that I’ve accomplished something special in this world.
“My parents have been on the farm for a long time—my dad grew up here, but both of them have made a big impression on me, so it really wasn’t all that hard for me to decide to be a farmer,” summed up Nolan. “As the saying goes: Farming isn't a job, it's a passion.”
With regards to Agriculture Day, Nolan revealed what appears to be a new Zen proverb: “Every day is ag day when you’re a farmer. We celebrate it daily every time we eat. And if you aren’t, you should.”