A Day In the Life of a Farmer – Manitoba Food Story


What	Oats
Where	Pembina Valley
Who	Dane & John

A Day on a Manitoba Farm

What does it take to keep a 3,500-acre farm running during the busiest time of year? We visited a Manitoba farm to meet the Bergens and hear their stories firsthand. What we captured is this day-in-the-life video with father and son farmers, Dane and John.

A New Generation of Farmers

What makes this story especially meaningful is Dane’s choice. At just 18 years old, he has decided to pursue farming as his career. In a world where fewer young people are choosing agriculture, Dane’s decision shows the importance of next-gen farmers in keeping our food systems strong and local farms sustainable.

John’s Perspective: Farming Then and Now

John Bergen has been farming for decades and now manages about 3,500 acres of oats, soybeans, corn, and canola. As John shares in the video, there are many things about oat farming that consumers rarely get to see. “I guess what I’d like people to know about our farm, or about agriculture, is it’s not the agriculture of the past,” he says. “We’ve evolved with technology so much. Everything is precise, on a large scale, and it takes a lot of time and effort.”

For John, farming is about stewardship and pride in producing safe, high-quality food ingredients. “We’re growing food ingredients. Everything ends up in the food chain, so we treat our farm as such.” This is also why stories like this matter. They create space for connection between farm families and consumers, bridging the gap between farm and table.

From Manitoba Fields to Your Kitchen: Local Oats

The oats harvested on farms like this one end up in everyday foods that families rely on around the world. Canada is one of the top oat-producing countries, and much of the crop is exported to markets like the United States and Mexico. But Manitoba-grown oats also end up on our local grocery store shelves. If you want to taste the difference local oats make, try baking a fresh Honey Oat Sandwich Loaf or starting your morning with Banana Bread Overnight Oats. Recipes like these connect what’s happening in the field with what we enjoy at home.

Supporting Oat Growers

Thanks to the support of the Manitoba Oat Growers Association, we’re able to share these stories and connect consumers to the people behind their food. And this is just one story from the farm. Season 36 of Great Tastes brings you a full year of fresh content with new YouTube videos every Friday.