Meet Eric, a fifth generation farmer/rancher Along with his father and business partner, he manages a feedlot, commercial cattle herd and grain farm. Eric is a strong ‘agvocate’ for the agriculture industry and understands the essential role primary production plays in a safe and nutritious global food supply. 

Upon graduating high school, he knew that post-secondary education would better prepare him to be successful as a producer, so he pursued a degree in agribusiness. 

Farming and ranching is a year-round job that requires a lot of work. Eric oversees four employees who all work together to keep things running smoothly. The life of a primary producer changes drastically depending on the season. In the spring the focus is on calving, shipping cattle to pasture, seeding, spraying and liquidating the feedlot. Come summer it is time for pasture management and spraying the crops. The fall is harvest time, which includes getting the crops off the field and bringing cows home from pasture. Eric also does a lot of grain marketing and feed buying. In the winter, Eric continues to market grain and spends considerable time researching and planning for the following year. The feedlot is also full, so winter is spent caring for, shipping and receiving cattle. 

Eric always knew he wanted to work on the farm. He sees a bright future, with new technologies and science playing an increasingly larger role in agriculture. Everything on the grain side of the operation is GPS, guided and the feedlot relies heavily on computers to track and care for cattle. He believes in growing and producing as much food as possible in order to feed a growing population, as well as being environmentally sustainable.