What does a Year on a Saskatchewan Farm Look Like?

Mar 01, 2018

See for Yourself at Jason LeBlanc Farm in Estevan, Saskatchewan

In tribute to his father, Ross LeBlanc, farmer and rancher Jason LeBlanc from Estevan, Saskatchewan, hired Brian Zinchuck to take some photos at his father’s 80^th birthday celebration at their family farm. While the LeBlanc’s had initially hired Zinchuck to capture the memories of the event, the conversation turned to video and the idea to film a year on the farm was born.

“We started thinking we should do up a video of farming for my dad … for him to watch,” said LeBlanc. “And then it progressed from there. It became a passion for Brian to do all these different things, and different sides of the farm, and different things that we do all year long.”

Over the course of a year, Zinchuck visited the farm several times, often using drones to capture footage of the farm in action. He filmed everything from seeding, to spraying, to harvesting, and even a trip to the Ritchie Bros. auction in Estevan. With some editing and the addition of a killer soundtrack, Zinchuk produced one of the best views of what a farm on the great plains looks like over 12 months.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.