Trent Klarenbach interviews Allan Johnston, founder of Johnston’s Grain in Welwyn, Saskatchewan, about growing up on a farm near Moosomin, early interests in machinery, and adopting continuous cropping after witnessing severe soil drifting on neighboring fields.
Johnston describes losing heavily during early-1980s drought and high interest rates, quitting farming in 1986 to protect family land, and entering grain marketing through Capital Grain and mentorship from Don Monroe.
He recounts building a mustard business with buyers like PJ Anderson, Elders Grain, and Humboldt Flour Mills, early struggles with cash flow and farmer reliance on the Canadian Wheat Board, and persistence through setbacks.
Johnston details expansion into DTN market information, poly bag sales, and later major growth under his son Chevy and partner Joel into chemicals, regenerative products, agronomy, and fertilizer, crediting the end of the Wheat Board monopoly and family support.
00:00 Show Intro Guest Reveal
00:35 Welwyn Roots Settlers
01:45 Farm Kid Machine Obsession
03:11 Versatile Tractors Combine Tales
05:58 Continuous Cropping Wind Lesson
08:25 Dad Livestock Legacy Loss
09:01 Seeding Gear Morris Drill
10:51 Drought Debt Quitting Farming
12:11 Starting Johnston Grain Marketing
14:31 Learning Futures Fax Era
15:24 Mustard Breakthrough US Buyers
17:59 Elders Grain Payment Drama
22:44 Trade Show Growth Early Struggles
25:23 Garage Office Poly Bag Pivot
27:31 Scaling Up Employees New Ventures
29:07 Generic Chemicals China Sourcing
31:20 Beating Input Prices
32:06 Hiring Joel and Ottawa Trip
34:42 Fighting Wheat Board Monopoly
36:27 DTN Breakthrough in Canada
38:59 Information Wins Markets
40:57 Scaling Through Great Hires
45:25 Family Travel and Next Gen
47:04 Chemical Risk and Recovery
48:39 New Products and Farmer Due Diligence
52:20 Wheat Board Cash Flow Reality
57:01 Biggest Life Impacts
59:06 Johnstons Daily and Wrap Up
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