Farming Together & Sharing The LoadMark and Sandi Brock

Mark

• Grew up on Crop/Hog finishing operation in Staffa

• Found a love for computers, and crops

• Went to University of Guelph, degree in Agronomy

• Current Chair for the Grain Farmers of Ontario

Sandi

• Grew up on a dairy farm in Paris

• Loved working in the barn, in the fields and with animals

• University of Guelph –Agriculture Business degree

• Director with Farm & Food Care Ontario

Shepherd Creek Farms Ltd.

• 1600 cropping operation

• Corn, wheat, soybeans, hay

• Transitioned fully to strip-till last year

• Integrated cover crops into system

• Early adapters of technology. Ie. Precision Ag.

Shepherd Creek Farms Ltd.

• Diversified into sheep 2012

• Began in smaller renovated pig barn with 150 ewes

• Expanded in 2013 with purchase of 350 more ewes and built Britespanbuilding

Sandi

• Manages the sheep operation

• Contact person for flock details

• Chores, record keeping, scheduling, breeding, lambing

• Help with fieldwork

Mark

• Manages the cropping operation

• Point person for crop details

• Develops crop plans, record keeping, data management

• In-house IT person

Working Together.

Sharing the Load.

• Parenting. Also, Teenagers.

• Work together, sacrifice together.

• Office work… we avoid together equally well.

• Personal development opportunities

• Commodity board involvement. Need full support of partner.

Successes

• Still married.

• Still farming.

• Kids.

• Maintaining and respecting each other’s independence.

• Worked to become our own identity but value recognition as a couple.

• We are happy.

Work Hard. Play Harder…

Thank You!

Mark Brock

cropper01@hotmail.com

@cropper01 (twitter)

Sandi Brock

brocksandi@hotmail.com

@brocksandi (twitter)