HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-03-18, Page 38Page 20
WALKERTON
FARM
SUPPLY
881 1971
Providing you with:
*Shur•gain Livestock Feed
Bags & Bulk
Complete line of Pet Foods
*Animal Health Care
Products
Water Softener Salt
Fencing & Hardware
*Forage Seed -
*Seed Grain
*Seed Corn
Bulk Garden Seeds
*Weed Control Chemicals
*Lawn & Garden Products
*And Much, Much More.
DROP IN TO SEE
RAY or D N
at
5 Peter Street
NOW!
Business thrives
by Cindy Maloney
CHEPSTOW—In the very competitive
field of grain elevator operations, Lang
Farm Ltd., of Chepstow, prides itself on
keeping a strong clientele and a successftil-
business. -
Tony Lang, owner of the business,
believes the strong- community support he
and his wife, Elaine, have received has been
a dominant factor in keeping their business
thriving. Between the grain drying -elevator
business, their seed business, and cropping
more than 1,000 acres, the Langg are kept
busy throughoutthe year.
The harvest season is definitely their
busiest time, sometimes needing up to 10
full-time employees. Although Lang serves
farmers from as far away as Coilingwood,
the majority of his customers are area
farmers.
--The local people in this area have been
tremendous to us while we were getting this
off the ground. Their support has been 100
per cent," says Lang.
To show their appreciation, the Langs
hold an annual curling bonspiel for all the
people who have supported them. -It's their
way of saying thanks
The Langs started the business on. their
own in 1973 because they wanted to diversify
'thei'r interests and also because they realiz-
ed there was a need for it in this area. Cur-
rently, there are similar operators from
Chesley and Port Elgin to Wingham, Under-
wood and Ripley. Lang maintains the
business is "very competitive."
It`s just like a McDonald's operation=
you make a few cents on every bushel. If the
business does not have the proper manage-
ment, it can lose large amounts,of money in
a very short time."
® community
in
Elevator operator
is the middle man
Once the corn, wheat, soybeans or barley
have been purchased, from the farmer and
graded and tested for moisture, it is dried
and stored until it canbe sold back to the
farmer or a -manufacturer. The corn may be
sold to a company like Canadian Mist in Col-
lingwood and the wheat may be sold in
Goderich to be exported, or to an Ontario
miller. . - -
No matter where the product goes, Lang
says it is often difficult for the elevator
operator to make money when he is a mid-
dle man between the farmer and the
manufacturer. If he can't sell the finished
product at the same grade as_he bought it
from the farmer, he can find himself not
making any money. -
"Some of those manufacturers can be
very tough on their grayling. The end-users
tend not to be as lenient as we: are to the
farmers. Any elevator operator would be
more than happy if the product leaves the
elevator at the same grade it came in at.".-
One
t."One thing Lang says he strongly recom-
mends to all farmers is they deal with 'a
licenced operator. These operators are
covered under the grain finance protection
act which guarantees payment to farmers in
case of elevator default.
Although he said his businesshas never
had any problems, he does remember a few
years ago some farmers losing money
_ because of a problem with an elevator
operator.
-With the agriculture busine the way it
is today, all the farmer needs is to not get
paid for his crop:"
The Langs have slowly expanded the
elevator part of their business over the -last
decade, although they did start out doing
custom drying right from the beginning. In
1976 they started marketing crops and in
1980 a storage and continuous drying facilitj-
was built. The latest expansion was com-
pleted in 1985, Today, he says. the equip-
ment they have would cost almost $1 million
to build. -
The equipment at Lang Farms has p
120,000 bushel storage capacity, which he
says is relatively small compared to large
commercial operators in Ontario_ However •
the capacity Lang Farms has to process a
crop is high, as it is able to receive about
5,000 bushels an hour. -
' Our equipment compares very well with
other operators in this area."
He says 1986 was. an average year in -
terms of yields and volume. with corn re-
maining constant and an increasein wheat
volume. On the whole. he says yields and-
volumes
ndvolumes have been steadily increasing each
year. •
Lang says he is still surprised at the
amount of clerical work involved in the
business, but he enjoys it, saying the
farmers are the ones who really make it
worthwhile.
-It is really enjoyable to work- with.
farmers when they deliver their grains at
harvest time. You can see the sense of pri t e -
on their faces and sort of internal fulfillme t
they feel knowing they are helping to feed
the world. The only depressing side of it is
the price, which we have no control over."
CONSIGNMENT AND
INVENTORY REDUCTION
Tuesday, April 7, 1987
11:00 A.M.
Reavie Farm Equipment Ltd.
Hwy. No. 86 2 miles west
LUCKNOW
Farmers: Turn your equipment sato extra cash•
Consign early
Auctioneer: Gordon H. Brindled/
529®7995