At Reban Farms, we've been proudly rooted in Saskatchewan for 114 years, and our connection to the land runs deep. Nestled near Petrofka Bridge along the North Saskatchewan River, just south of Blaine Lake, our farm has been a cornerstone of sustainable cattle farming since 1908. Today, we’re sharing how we care for our cattle while ensuring that our farming practices remain sustainable for generations.

A Legacy of Sustainability

“Sustainability” has become a popular buzzword, and rightly so. Consumers today are more conscious about how their food is produced and its environmental impact. At Reban Farms, sustainability isn’t just a trend – it’s been at the core of what we do for over a century. Our farm has thrived for 114 years, proving that long-term sustainability is achievable when you constantly evolve your practices to benefit the land, animals, and the community.

Over the years, we’ve learned to be more efficient with our resources. "We produce way more pounds of beef compared to 40, 30, or even 20 years ago, on far less food, water, and land base. We’re just that much more efficient." This efficiency level allows us to respect the environment while producing high-quality beef.

Animal Welfare is Our Priority, says Aubrey Reban  " It's one of the most important aspects of our farm is ensuring the well-being of our cattle. We take pride in providing them with plenty of space, clean bedding, and fresh water. They’re always clean and dry, with access to as much food as they need. This level of care ensures that our cattle are healthy, content, and productive."

Rotational Grazing: A Key to Land Health

Our cattle aren’t just wandering aimlessly across fields. At Reban Farms, we practice rotational grazing, moving our herds through different paddocks and pastures. This method gives plant species the time to recover and regrow before they’re grazed again. Healthier plants mean healthier cattle and more productive land.

"If we continually graze pastures, the undesirable species—the ones that are less palatable or less nutritious—start to overtake the ones that get continually grazed. Before you know it, you’ve got unproductive pastures." By allowing plant diversity to flourish, we maintain the balance of our ecosystem, ensuring long-term productivity and sustainability.

As a Canadian farmer, you’ve lived through your fair share of unpredictability. Whether it was the farm crisis or one too many years of lackluster harvests, you took your farm through the worst combinations Mother Nature and the markets could throw at you, beating the odds to build something your family is truly proud of.

Looking back at the ups and downs of farming, you’d never take any of it back. And you want to leave the challenge behind for the next generation so that your family’s legacy can continue to flourish long after you’re gone. Successful farmers are constantly thinking about what’s next. If you’re over 50, planning the future of your farm should be your top task. The work you put in now could set your farm’s estate up for one of the most anticipated outcomes in your entire farming career. You know how rare that can be in the agriculture industry!

Speaking of your career, you’ve worn many hats over the years: accountant, labourer, veterinarian, weatherman, mechanic, scientist – the list goes on. Through the demands of your job, you’ve learned to ask for help when you need it. So if you’re willing to call your neighbour down the road at harvest, you should be willing to work with the expert up the street on financials.

A financial advisor provides leadership when you need it. They have your best interests in mind while navigating the blind spots of your farm’s estate, connecting a knowledgeable team of specialists to determine how to plan your family farm’s future best. The most common regrets farm estate financial advisors hear from farmers are that they wish they would have talked about it either ten years earlier before they lost their health or before inflation led to a big misstep in their tax strategy.

You may be thinking about farm estate planning because you’ve been pressed by your child who’s made sacrifices for the farm, or you’ve witnessed what happens when farmers leave a mess behind. Don’t wait until things fall apart. If you have a lot of unanswered questions about your farm’s estate, proper planning will bring clarity to problems that exist and provide answers that may solve them. Bring in your biggest concerns and prepare to give your financial advisor honest answers to the following questions.

These are the top six considerations when you're farm estate planning:

1. How do I want to spend the rest of my life?