Farm Life

A question of priority

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 14:09 by Céline Normandin

TODAY'S FATHERS: FAMILY FIRST!

Although the days are tiring and schedules difficult, a number of fathers are moving heaven and earth to be more than just a passing figure in their children’s lives. Three young farmers have decided to put family at the centre of their lives, often contrary to their parents as models. For François Labbé, this choice came very early in his life.

A question of priority

“As soon as I took over the family farm, I wanted the enterprise to be at my service and not the other way around,” shares François Labbé, who took over the family farm as soon as he left the ITA de La Pocatière in 1992. Average-sized at the time, it is now considered a small dairy operation with its 40 Holstein cows, which suits him just fine. He is the only one taking care of the farm, although he has made sure to surround himself with good people so that he is able to have a helping hand when needed. Yet, he has always made decisions with the goal of making life easier. He noted that he had the chance to marry someone not from a farming background. “I feel that this helped me a lot to step back from the farm on weekends since my wife doesn’t work weekends.”

Today, François, who has always loved children, is the father of Nathan (12 years) and Coralie (9 years). He decided to manage the operation in relation to the family from the time when they were born. While he was involved in a thousand and one agricultural organizations, he reoriented his involvement to be present in all aspects of his children’s lives, whether in daycare, school, or after-school activities. Today, he is an enthusiastic hockey and soccer coach for his children. “Sometimes, we run and I get tired. But I remind myself that I have 10 to 15 years to invest in my children’s lives. That is not a lot of time in one life or in one career, so now is the time to make the most of it.”

To be able to spend more time with the children, François has had to make some choices about how his enterprise is managed. François gets up at 4:30 a.m. to be able to sit at the breakfast table with the children. He also welcomes his children when they return home from school, since his wife is still at work at that time. He has knowingly given up developing his farm. “I also love beautiful cows, but I would probably have trouble sleeping for two or three days when my
$50,000 cow is about to calf. There is a time to stop and choose your priorities.” He also manages his enterprise very tightly and is careful to be as efficient as possible. “Since I’m so involved, sometimes other parents ask me if I even work. What they don’t see is me getting up at 4:30 a.m. every morning. Aside from milking, my schedule is quite flexible and I organize myself so I can spend time with my family.”

If François’ formative years are a little different from what he teaches his children, he says that he was inspired by his parents regarding one aspect in particular: they always took the time to go on vacation as a couple, away from the farm. Last year, he bought himself a piece of land about five minutes from the house, beside a lake. On weekends, the whole family goes camping and eats marshmallows around the fire. It may not seem like much, but these little moments have been welcomed and have become precious. “It’s not far from the house, but it is a complete change of scenery,” he confides.

François likes what he does and is happy with his work, an attitude that clearly comes through and he is helping his children to like farming as well. “When I was young, I didn’t dare say that I came from a farming background; but today, my children are proud to say that their father is a farmer.”