Seven weeks before calving, Ian Smith still watched his cows graze green grass near Argyle, Manitoba, in his yard, around his house. He summed it up: life is good. On a single quarter section, Smith runs a mixed operation that includes cattle, hogs, laying hens, and grain. He farms the same 160 acres his parents bought in 1953, and he purchased in 1993. More than three decades later, he still works the land with pride, purpose, and a clear business plan.
Smith says the cattle market delivered one of its strongest falls in years. He sold the calves he planned to market about four weeks earlier and sent four bull calves to Douglas for a development program. He plans to sell three of those bulls and keep one for his own herd. He says prices exceeded expectations. U.S. cattle numbers dropped to historic lows after years of drought and fewer young producers entering the sector. Canadian herds also declined for the same reasons. Beef demand remained strong, which pushed prices higher.
Smith watched the market closely. When talk surfaced about imported Argentine beef entering the U.S. market, futures turned volatile. Smith responded quickly and sold during the second week after the announcement. He says prices still moved well, but timing mattered. When a seven-month-old calf brings strong money, he says it puts a smile on your face, even if those returns still fail to recover losses from past years.
His hog business continues to perform just as well. Smith markets pork directly to consumers, bypassing middlemen. He sells sides of pork cut and wrapped to customer preference, with bellies smoked for bacon, legs smoked for ham roasts, and trim turned into sausage. Many buyers now purchase pork sides as Christmas gifts, though Smith supplies customers year-round. He has marketed pork this way for 23 years.
Smith said, “People once told me I’m too small and needed to expand.” He heard that message often. Each time, it pushed him to prove the opposite. He set his own price, controlled his costs, and built long-term customer trust. He says many who chased scale eventually stepped away, while he stayed profitable and independent.
Smith raises hogs in a traditional barn with a barn cleaner. He scrapes pens twice a day, beds with straw, and provides fresh feed and water. He says the work takes effort, but he values the system. He stays active, avoids chronic pain, and takes pride in caring for livestock the way he believes works best. He credits daily physical work for keeping him healthy and motivated.
Egg production adds another steady income stream. Smith added 52 hens recently, bringing his flock to about 170 free-run layers. He sells eggs at four dollars per dozen. The numbers stay modest, but he enjoys the routine. He gathers, washes, and sells eggs directly from the farm. He says the work relaxes him and helps him build relationships. Customers become friends, not transactions.
Smith seeds barley each spring and harvests it with small equipment. He makes his own hay and feeds it to registered Shorthorn cattle that he sells as breeding stock. He calls his cows his “Scottish lawnmowers” and says they made the most of fall pasture. Dry conditions challenged grass growth across parts of the Interlake earlier in the season, but late-summer rains extended grazing well into the fall. That extra pasture reduced feed costs and improved overall margins.
Smith traces his determination back to family roots. His father’s parents farmed in Scotland, and his mother’s parents farmed in Manitoba. He says stubbornness runs in the family, along with pride in doing things right. He believes confidence matters. When someone says a quarter-section mixed farm cannot survive, Smith says belief and discipline prove otherwise.
People often ask when he plans to retire. Smith answers without hesitation. He says retirement does not apply when you love what you do. He says farming never felt like work because purpose drives each day. Meeting customers, building friendships, caring for animals, and producing food give meaning beyond balance sheets.
Smith values optimism. He says positive thinking carried him through difficult years and shaped him into a better businessperson. He trusts his system, his market, and his work ethic. On a small farm near Argyle, Smith continues to feed people, prove doubters wrong, and enjoy every season he still gets to seed, harvest, and care for livestock •
— By Harry Siemens