The Business of Farming
One Earth Farms incorporates a strong team of agricultural specialists with leading business experts, ensuring that the fine art of food production is achieved in a highly professional environment.
Each segment of OEF operations is led by a professional who brings both a business and a cultural aspect to their area of expertise. The resulting organizational structure integrates the best of all perspectives within a sustainable agribusiness model. While each area has an attendant cost—when added to the mix and fully integrated into the business—the model is designed to not only to cover all costs but also to make a positive contribution to the bottom line.
Operations
The operations team is structured to capture a complete integration of the cropping and livestock enterprises. While senior posts are held by two key specialists—Bryan Peat as the Director of Cropping Operations and Ryan Copithorne as the Director of Livestock Operations—the functional units are highly integrated. This complete integration provides for cross-sector efficiencies and enhanced margins in both cropping and livestock enterprises.
Human Resources
The rapid growth and extensive requirements for a dynamic multi-cultural labour force necessitates the engagement of a full-time Human Resources Department, lead by Jason Beaman. HR specialists are assigned to each province of operation to ensure proactive leadership and timely responses that professionally address all employee-related initiatives.
Training
Western Canada is one of the few jurisdictions not supported by a formal educational opportunity to train in the specifics of farming operations and farm leadership. The need to engage a highly trained complement of OEF staff required that we develop and deliver training modules for all aspects of modern-day farming and ranching requirements. Kevin Caisse, with his formal training in education, leads a full-time, year-round training program. His efforts are complemented by a direct association with the Inroads to Agriculture Institute, a program co-sponsored by OEF and two levels of government.
Safety
Safety First is paramount in every phase of OEF operations. OEF published a complete series of safety manuals in March 2011 that will be carefully adhered to and closely monitored for compliance.
Procurement and Marketing
Procurement and Marketing are two roles not normally involving full time people in many traditional farming models. OEF has dedicated resources for both key functions, lead by Dean Hironaka who was formerly engaged in the crop inputs profession, to ensure all inputs are carefully purchased according to intended use and at the optimum price. Marketing is a similarly dedicated function that is conducted on a continuous year-round basis to achieve maximum results on a carefully timed basis.
Equipment Maintenance
Equipment Maintenance, another dedicated function, is the ability to deliver on a proactive scheduled maintenance program and to conduct most of the repairs in-house, which reduces costs and keeps farming equipment operational with a minimum of disruption at key operational times. This area is capably lead by Curtis Schmid, who honed his skills in the highly efficient applications of Alberta’s oilfield production system.
Finance
The business of farming requires a diligent back office to ensure financial assets are as carefully maintained as the physical machinery that is required to plant and harvest the crops. At OEF, a full-time staff of accountants lead by Derrek Wong, our Chief Financial Officer, ensures that budgets are methodically prepared and carefully complied with in all aspects of the business.
Information Technology
Timely and accurate information is everything, in a widely dispersed, multi-faceted business. OEF has a full-time IT section to support information technologies and develop the in-house system that transmits daily work orders and captures live results from every piece of equipment and about animals across all farms and ranches. This group is lead by a team with extensive experience in the IT profession, Chris McNaught and Don Johnson.
First Nations
One Earth Farms is highly integrated with its First Nations partners as landlords, business partners and key providers of management, equipment operators and ranch support. Recognizing that there can be unique features in the First Nations cultural and business environment, OEF is privileged to have two former Chiefs of First Nations in its staff complement: Ted Quewezance, former Chief of Keeseekoose First Nation, and Gordon Lerat, former Chief of Cowessess First Nation. Among their roles, they provide for constant and consistent communications between OEF and its First Nation partners. In addition to the cultural aspects, OEF recognizes the unique opportunity to mutually explore business opportunities. Don Ross, with his 25-year history in First Nations business development, brings a strong contingent of support for exploring a wide variety of future business opportunities.
Business Development
The business aspect of OEF is in a steady state of growth. To ensure that these new business opportunities are properly assessed and integrated within the OEF model, there is a core team of business professionals, lead by Fred Siemens, who are constantly assessing and developing new opportunities. This team also introduces continuous improvement protocols within the existing business structure to ensure maximum efficiencies are achieved.
