Farm Overview
Welcome to The Schraefel Farm!
We are located 10 km SE of Kerrobert, a town of 1200. We are 200 km West of our nearest city, Saskatoon. We are far from any type of industrial pollutants and so enjoy a quiet, clear mostly farming community.
We produce organic dry land crops including cereal grains such as wheat, barley and oats, oilseeds and legumes like flax, peas, and lentils on 5000 acres. We offer sales direct to consumers, distributors, and brokers as well as bulk sales. Please call us directly. The land consists of glacial till with low rolling hills and sloughs with small bluffs of trees in the low spots. It is home for many deer, rabbits, antelope, coyotes, porcupines, and foxes. Over the past several years we are seeing more moose make this their home. We are in the flyway of the Canada goose and many kinds of ducks and other birds. The farm operation is the primary business producing bulk grains in a dry climate which reduces disease and insect problems. Yields are less but the quality is usually very high.
Brief History:
The farm was established in 1907 by Clemens and Magdalena Schraefel until after World War II, was turned over to his youngest son Alvin (Bud) and his wife Marjory who had 5 kids on the farm. The farm is now owned and operated since 1996 by Clement, his wife Chandra and sons Adam, Stephen & Derek who are the third generation operators on the farm. The farm has established many organic customers, distributors, and retailers and has a strong reputation for providing the highest quality grain products in the world.
In 2017 the Farm began operation mostly by the 3 boys. Adam, Stephen, and Derek are operating the farm full time. Expanding to farm the Wright land in addition to the Allcock and Chambers. Clem and neighbors Lyle Wright and Ritz Reynolds help during busy months of Seeding and Harvest and we are grateful for their help. The farm is constantly changing to meet the rapidly evolving trends in consumer demands for a more plant-based diet.
Our Mandate:
The Schraefel Farm is a 5200-acre organic farm in Saskatchewan which grows small dry grains such as wheat, barley, flax, peas, lentils, and oats. This 4th-generation farm is operated by Adam, Stephen, and Derek (The Straw Boss) with help from Clem and Chandra.
The mandate of The Schraefel Farm is to produce and distribute high quality certified organic cereal grains, oilseeds and legumes to Canadian and International organic markets. Continued market penetration will be pursued through a commitment to research, marketing and development of new products and new uses for existing products. We will continue research into new ways of adding value to bulk commodity sales.
Our family looks forward to growing the highest quality food without damaging the land for future generations and allowing the wildlife to share our good fortune. It is difficult for farm families to survive in farming any more but we hope to live here for a long time and dream that our sons can enjoy this lifestyle as well. We are encouraging other smaller family farms to transition to this type of agriculture to help fill demand and to allow farmers to make a good living on smaller farms.
History of Organic Production:
In 1907, over 110 years ago years ago, when this land was first broke, all production was organic. Methods were slow and many times the weeds and pests were hard to control. The farm has now reverted back to its roots and many of the early methods are being used again to control pests. How I wish now that I could talk to my Grandfather about some of their long-forgotten methods.
In 1997 we began the transition to organic production. By 2000 all the land was certified organic. We have had some disasters and some successes. In 1999 it quit raining and we have had 4 years of devastating drought. By July, the grasshoppers had eaten what was left. In the yard, all the trees were stripped of foliage and the grass was crispy brown. In 2002 there was no crop, not even enough seed for the following year. Fortunately, by 2004 we have had ample rain. The crop yield was good but the quality was not as good
Any farm system needs water and organic systems are no exception. In order to have green manure plow down crops, you need rain. Organic systems still rely on tillage to control weeds and that leaves the land vulnerable to erosion on dry years. We use reduced tillage as much as possible and when it rains we try to continually crop the land with direct seeding techniques and so far this has worked well. This is a relatively new practice for the organic community but one that I feel will catch on. A lot of trial and error goes into the transition and if we can survive the disasters we should be all better off. I think the land is starting to appreciate not being poisoned and is beginning to perform better as a result.
Location:
The farm’s home quarter is located in Saskatchewan on the South West quarter of 20 -33-22 west of the 3rd meridian. Kerrobert is the nearest town 10 kilometers away with a population of 1200. Saskatoon is the closest city at 200 kilometers with a 250,000 population. It is located, along with neighboring farms, far from any industrial pollutants. This provides the ideal place to grow organic grains for international consumption.
The Schraefel Farm has been transforming into a producer, distributor, and retailer of high quality, certified organic grains, oilseeds and legumes to the world marketplace. It is distinguishing itself from traditional, high-cost commercial farming. It is leading the way, with other organic farms in the area, in re-establishing agricultural producers as a self – sustaining and vibrant member of the community.
The transition has not been easy nor without risks but the risks of maintaining the status quo in agriculture are immense and the need for change far outweighs the risk. The Schraefel Farm is a sole proprietary but has many supporting roles. Financiers, suppliers, brokers, shippers, customers, family members, employees, and neighbors are involved in the short and long-term operations.
In 2017 some of the highest recorded yields occurred on the farm. The original home quarter broke in 1907 was well over 40 bushels per acre of beautiful Hard Red Spring Wheat. Average yields over the years are closer to 30 BPA.
