Ian Korpan is a young farmer in Alberta who has increased his operation’s sustainability efforts through a few programs, including Nutrien’s Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes (SNO) Program. It’s a program that pays farmers for improving their nitrogen efficiency, and it can almost seamlessly integrate with how things are already done and can provide valuable insights through tracked results.

Farming With Family

Ian’s family has been farming in the area since the 1950s, and Ian has been farming with his dad for the last 20 years. They primarily farm barley, canola. wheat and recently oats. Ian went to college and came back to the farm part-time while he worked as an accountant. When his dad took a step back, Ian stepped up and took over the farm management. He still does some accounting work on the side, but his primary job is now farming.

Ian is married and has two daughters, ages three and five. He hopes to give them the opportunity to take over the farm one day, which is why it’s important for him to implement growing practices that will safeguard the land for generations to come.

“My girls aren’t heavy enough yet to set off the sensors on the tractor seats,” Ian says. “One day, maybe they’ll want to farm, but if they or my nephews don’t want to, I will leave it to the next generation to do right for the farm and be good stewards of the land."

Part of being a good steward of the land is doing everything he can to make sure the land is taken care of. For Ian, it’s about more than just keeping the farm in the family - it’s about doing the right thing to help feed a growing world.

Using Data to Get Ahead

His background as an accountant has instilled a love of data in Ian. He uses data for everything he can - to determine which crop rotations will be the best, to figure out what products he should use, to decide which sustainable efforts will work best for his operation. His love of data combined with his background as an accountant makes him particularly interested in opportunities that make good financial sense.

While many growers find farm data beneficial, they find it even more rewarding when it translates into savings. “I love data” Ian says. “We look at the SNO program because we captured all of the information we needed to. The payout has been tens of thousands of dollars, so that’s pretty big for our operation. It’s a payment somewhere or less money I have to come up with at the end of the day.”

Ian works with Carson James, a crop consultant at Nutrien Ag Solutions, to create the best possible plan for his operation to succeed with its sustainability efforts. Carson also happens to be Ian’s neighbor, so the two of them work well together and both understand the intricacies of farming in the area.

“Ian is constantly upgrading equipment and technology to meet the demands of the farm,” Carson says. “He always looks at his yield data and wants as much information as possible to make informed decisions about what to do next.”

Fueling Growth with Sustainable Farming

Ian has been part of the SNO program for four years, and the data points he’s captured help him to report his outcomes so he gets the biggest possible payout from the program. The data he’s gathered also helps him plan effectively for the next year’s crop. Because he’s enrolled in the SNO program, Ian was also eligible for a reduced interest rate on purchasing his inputs.

“The line of credit has been helpful,” Ian says. “They’ve always accepted my credit and the increases I’ve requested. It helps that I pay it off and don’t let it become overdue. We’ve suffered through some high interest situations, but learned our lessons and are now striving to be in a more cash-positive situation, which this line of credit has helped with.”

“Every time I try to look over the fence to a competitor, I find out the grass is not necessarily greener,” Ian says. “I like the program that Nutrien has and it fits well with where I want to take the farm in the future. It’s a matter of maximizing every acre I have and this program helps me do that.”

One thing that surprised Ian was how many of the program requirements were things he was already implementing. “When we first started going through the documentation needed, the majority of what was needed were things we were already doing.” Ian says. “Now we get paid to do everything right and to continue to do it and have the ability to keep running the farm properly.”

Looking To the Future

Ian plans to farm for another 40 years, and part of his plan for the farm involves continual improvement and growth where it makes sense, which includes making smart financing decisions.

“My first goal was to double the farm in size and now that I’ve done that, I’d like to keep revamping,” Ian says. “It doesn’t make sense to double again right now, but I don’t want to take my foot off the gas pedal, so it’s a matter of continual improvement.”

To Ian, improving each year means doing things the right way, even when that means doing things differently than previous generations did.

“Our history has taught us a lot. My grandpa did things differently. My dad did things differently.” Ian says. “Learning and growing take us to that next level. It’s quite a process to plant a simple seed in the ground, watch it grow and then harvest it.”

“At the end of the day, if we’re not going to run a sustainable operation and we’re not benefiting others, then what are we doing?” Ian asks. “It’s a matter of keeping the farm going, feeding the world and doing everything right, being a good steward of the land.”