Kealon Friesen

Featured Grower

Hi, my name is Kealon Friesen. I farm under the name 3V Potatoes Ltd., with my parents George and Diana Friesen, as well as my brother Coleson Friesen. We are located north of Vauxhall [and] we grow grains, peas, sugar beets and potatoes. I have farmed my whole life. I took a few years off to travel and to go to school, but I always felt a pull to come back to the farm. I have been farming now since 2011.

How many generations has your family ben involved in agriculture?

My great grandpa farmed when he lived in Russia. When my grandpa was seven, he moved to Saskatchewan to farm and then later to Vauxhall. So, I am the 4th generation to farm.

Why did you choose farming as your career?

I love that I get to work outside and the challenges that come with that. It is really a game of chance when you choose to farm because you never know what is going to happen. Every year is different. I also love working with my family and the community.

What do you think the future of sugar beets looks like?

I feel like it will keep going in a positive direction. The consumers are becoming more educated and want to shop and support local.

What do you think is the most interesting thing about farming? And why do you grow sugar beets?

The most interesting thing about farming is how it has progressed in the last decade. From having to hoe beets to having Round-up ready crops. From seeding beets during daytime hours only to having GPS and being able to go 24 hours. From moving wheels every four hours to having irrigation I can control from my phone. I don’t know what the next decade looks like, but I want to be around to see it!

[As for sugar beets,] it has always been a part of my life. I loved how it brought the family together. My dad and I truck, my brother runs the digger, grandpa is in the defoliator, and mom get out there and helps if we need her. I have fond memories of growing up and riding with dad to the piling ground, seeing the other truck drivers, going through the scales, and now I get to do those things with my daughters. It is definitely about the competition to! Who is going to have the best beets, highest sugar, and who gets to be Beet King!

What do you think is the most interesting thing about farming? And why do you grow sugar beets?

Short term I would like to get through 2020! Long term I would love to see the farm grow and become more sustainable. I have two daughters and if they farm one day, I would love to pass everything on to them.