Since Ryan Hofford started converting his organic grain farm north of Swan River, Manitoba, to a conventional operation in 2021, he’s made dramatic changes to the way he farms. Along the way, he’s needed a lot of information and advice.
There are lots of workshops and websites helping farmers convert the other way — from conventional to organic — but few resources for farmers in Hofford’s situation. “Others can ask their dad, or their grandpa or their mentor,” he says. But this doesn’t apply to Hofford’s situation either.
For agronomy advice, Hofford usually looks to local farmers and agronomists. But for issues that are common to farmers across the prairies, for example equipment or chemical application, Hofford often goes straight to the crowd, posting his questions on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).
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“You get a lot of advice,” he says. “It’s a little hard to use it all because there’s so much of it.” He admits that not all of the advice he gets on social media is high-quality, but after weeding out some sarcasm and extreme opinions, he’s found many helpful, informative responses to his questions.
Because he’s new to conventional farming, Hofford worries his questions might seem “basic” to experienced conventional farmers. “It’s a little embarrassing, asking things that most guys already know,” he says.
But Hofford’s not the only one learning from his questions. He gets quite a few private messages from people writing things like, “I’m glad you asked that question!”, or “Sometimes you ask questions I wouldn’t have thought about.” Knowing his questions are of value to other farmers gives him the confidence to keep posting.
What’s the best advice he’s received from social media? “Continue asking questions,” he says.
