The land of living skies

By Michael Hungle

Summary

Like many other Saskatchewan producers, John Van Eaton’s own philosophy of farming has been passed down from generation to generation.

“What we do with our land, water and air directly affects what we do and produce next year,” said Van Eaton, as he took a break from spring seeding activities on his land near Maryfield in Saskatchewan’s southeast corner. “Many years ago, my grandfather said to me, ‘Let your farm work for you. Don’t work for your farm!’ and you know it’s finally starting to make sense to me.”

Van Eaton’s mixed farm has 2,500 acres of seeded farmland and he currently runs 300 head of cattle on pastureland. As a result, he has become a firm believer in grass management along with cross-fencing and is actively involved in Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) forage program. With the economic benefits provided with this program, he plans to increase his herd size to 500 head without needing to expand the land base to support the extra cows.

“I’m not an environmentalist. Instead, I’m someone who believes in sustainability,” Van Eaton says. “And I know that with these programs, local waterfowl and wildlife populations are also benefiting. Five years ago, it was uncommon to see a Canada goose anywhere in the area. Today, I easily see five to 10 pairs of these birds daily.”

In a province that has adopted the slogan “Land of the Living Skies,” Van Eaton’s observation might be telling. While the slogan might have been designed to refer to the constantly changing clouds, vivid sunrises and sunsets or dancing northern lights, it also fits well with the magnitude of waterfowl that live and breed in Saskatchewan, especially during the spring and fall, when at times, the skies of Saskatchewan are alive with waterfowl.

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