2025 WESTERN CANADA AGRI-BUSINESS DIRECTORY Ag & Country 2025 74 Western Canada’s Rural Business Directory Dustin Cornelissen and his brother Bryce are working to grow their land base to sustainably farm full-time after harvesting their first crop in 2022. The brothers own and operate Lien & Tender Farms near Delburne, Alta., where they are growing a fouryear rotation of peas, wheat, canola, and barley, while also using their skills as a mechanic and welder to support the operation. Dustin grew up on his family farm that at the time raised hogs, until 2006, when their father made the decision to get out of farming. Now they are getting back in touch with their agricultural roots with a focus on grain farming. “My brother and I both worked in the oilfield but wanted to eventually start grain farming,” says Dustin. “I bought a quarter and wanted to start buying into Dad’s to have the home quarter. He passed in 2020, and after that we started focusing on grain farming. We’ve purchased four more quarters since then and we are on our way to farming full-time.” He says that working as a grain cart driver during a break from his time in the oilfield drew him back into agriculture. “When I was working on the drilling rig in 2013, my appendix went. They had me on six weeks of time off,” recalls Dustin. “I looked on Kijiji for something to do and found a farm that needed a grain cart operator. I ended up working there for a year because oil prices crashed. “The equipment has always intrigued me. On the farm, you are always doing something different. It’s not as repetitive as other work. Being a farmer, sometimes you’re in a tractor or sprayer or combine or a lot of times you’re fixing equipment.” To support their families and the farm, Dustin works as a heavy-duty mechanic and has his own shop, and Bryce does some welding. “I have a heavy-duty mechanic shop and we do a lot of fabrication too. My brother and I were building trailers this winter,” says Dustin. The ability to fix their own equipment helps the Cornelissen brothers manage some of the maintenance costs on the farm as well. As the young farmers work to grow their operation, Dustin says their age gives them a unique perspective. “We are pretty young for running our own farm. Most of the farms around here have everyone, even grandpa, still involved. The average age is somewhere close to 65 for farmers,” says Dustin. “I know a lot of farmers are set in their ways and aren’t willing to try new things. We are able to be more open-minded.” Dustin and Bryce have put this flexible mindset to work by searching for new markets and crops. “I’m really interested in growing lupines. They promote nitrogen fixation and are good for soil health, but we still have to find the market for them. We have to look into them further to see if they are marketable,” Dustin explains. By exploring new opportunities and technologies, the brothers hope to achieve their goal of building a sustainable and successful operation that will support them full-time. What’s your favourite thing about farming? Dustin: Mainly the lifestyle. I like living in the country and operating all the different pieces of equipment you get to run. What’s your goal for the farm? My goal is to be able to be farming full-time and not have to rely on income off-farm to support us. It would ‘FARMING IS A LABOUR OF LOVE’ By Emily McKinlay The Cornelissen brothers are starting their farm from the ground up. Enjoy Today Photography photo Dustin and Bryce Cornelissen farm near Delburne, Alta. GRAIN MARKETS REPAIR REMINDERS DAIRY-BEEF CALVES JULY/AUGUST 2024 $9.50 NITROGEN FERTILIZER EXCITING TECHNOLOGY Exploring Drones AG TECH TRADE SHOW Lakeland College UPDATE ON PULSE GROWTH New Opportunities SUPPORTING POLLINATORS What’s the Buzz? 14 36 26 22 40 SUSANNAH CORNELISSEN & MOCHA Farming Peas & More in Alberta SAMPLE THE STORY This article originally ran in the July/August 2024 edition of Better Farming, the business magazine for Prairie agriculture. THERE’S MORE! KEEP READING: The full article can be found online at BetterFarming.com/magazines Article continues in our July/August 2024 online edition. Scan QR code below or visit BetterFarming.com/magazines.
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