Being a young farmer in Canada today is a challenge, but Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers regional winners Roelof and Mary van Benthem, who operate a fourth-generation dairy farm near Spruce View, AB, are rising to it–answering the call to farm in innovative ways.

Mary and Roelof operate van Benthem Dairy alongside Roelof’s parents who had moved their family to Canada from the Netherlands in 2000 when he was 16. Roelof decided to join the family business in 2008 following a trip to Holland, where he trained under the guidance of a veterinarian, developing specialized skills in embryo recovery and transplantation.

“These skills are a game-changer for our operation,” Roelof explains. “They allow us a great amount of control over herd health and our breeding program.”

Roelof and Mary met in 2009, and the pair are now raising their own children on the family dairy farm, which spans 840 acres, with 120 milking cows and 150 young stock.

The van Benthems were recently celebrated as Alberta regional winners in Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program, an annual competition that recognizes farmers between the ages of 18 and 39, who exemplify excellence and promote agriculture in ways that foster urban-rural relations. They were also recently recognized as the Breeder of the Year in Alberta (2020).

The van Benthems’ innovative efforts include sustainably supporting animal and environmental health, controlling runoff, and ensuring proper manure storage. “The most important job on our farm is animal care. Happy and healthy cows are the backbone of our business,” says Mary.

After successfully fighting a serious bacterial outbreak of Mycoplasma Bovis, Roelof is now also supporting the dairy industry by working with researchers to develop more knowledge about this bacteria, which is difficult to identify and treat. He hopes this work will benefit other producers.

In the future, van Benthem Dairy intends to continue improving, by applying new technology and remaining active in their community. “Building a strong family business is very important to us,” says Mary. “We think the future is bright for Canadian dairy farmers. We have four young boys, and we want to give them the opportunity to continue the family legacy.”