IDEA MAN

Honoured Richmond dairy farmer never afraid to try new things

RICHMOND — Ottawa-area dairy farmer Rick Schouten was named 2008 Innovative Farmer of the Year.

Schouten, who operates a 3,500-acre dairy and cash crop farm and milks 530-head with his brother, Ed and Ed’s son Chris, near Richmond, was honoured by the Innovative Farmers’ Association of Ontario last month.

"I feel quite humbled," said Schouten, 44, who manages the farm’s accounting, cropping and mechanical repairs. He likes to modify equipment to fit the farm’s needs.

The operation, Cornerview Farms, has long been considered a centre of farming innovation, as visitors come from around the world to see how they get things done. Schouten figures he was honoured for "a number of little things and for sharing ideas. We’re always open to visitors and discussing what works and what doesn’t."

Among the many innovations and after three years of trial and error, Schouten was able to refine his corn planter and air cart system to merge them together as one unit. This brought in visits about five years ago from dealers and retailers from across North America.

Back in 1991, the farm was among the first to recycle water in its barn. Though common today, they were re-using the same water twice, Schouten said. "I’ve never been afraid to try new things on our farm. Some work and some don’t but that hasn’t stopped me from trying."

Other innovations included energy conservation practices that reduced the farm’s energy consumption by almost 18 per cent. Schouten received $1,000. The award was started by chemical company BASF Canada.