Operations have changed from their grandparents original dairy farm to become a full-fledged cash crop operation growing staples like wheat, corn and soybeans. They also run a granary at the farm to store, dry and ship not only their own crops but also farmers in the area.
The 3400 acre farm dates back to the mid 1950’s and has been passed down to the next generation 3 times, most recently from their father Ian Greydanus who began building up the cash crop operation in the mid-1980s.
The brothers took over the day-to-day operations in 2021 following a succession process that took the better part of three years to complete.
Travis said that while his daughter and son, who are 3 and 1 and a half respectively, won’t be taking over the farm anytime soon, they’ve made provisions now to make the process as easy as possible when the time comes – provided they want to carry on as the fourth generation at Greydafon Farms.
Today the operation boasts roughly 800,000 bushels of storage in 12 silos that are a technical marvel in themselves, drying out the harvested crops using the latest technology to ensure the least amount of spoilage possible.
Technology also plays a role in other aspects of their operations, like prescriptive planting – a process that collects data from specific areas of the farm to make management decisions about inputs and treat each area of the field in the most efficient manner. Varying the rates of seed planting and fertilizer application means that every plant is given the best chance to produce to it’s full capacity, whether it’s on the best soil available or at the edge of a row. Thanks to improved sensor technology, it’s becoming more efficient every year.
As for the future, Travis is keeping his eye on drone technology that may change the way they plant and apply products to their fields as drones don’t need to wait for the ground conditions in order to start planting – and a small fleet of drones can be purchased for less than the cost of a planting tractor.
To listen to the complete interview, click on the file below.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
