Kristjan Hebert

Sustainability is garnering a lot of attention these days, but it’s been a core value at Hebert Grain Ventures since the farm’s beginnings. At HGV, the team has never fallen into the trap of, “We’ve always done it this way.” Under the leadership of Kristjan Hebert, HGV continues to implement new practices that are beneficial for both the business and the environment.

In this presentation, Kristjan will share the HGV approaches to sustainable agriculture involving soil preservation, zero tillage, cover crops and a range of new digital and data tools. He will provide a look at the farm of the future and the innovations that will reduce emissions, increase production and create a thriving sector for generations to come.

We hear these sayings often and they’ve been passed down for generations. But, are they really true? Kristjan Hebert will challenge your assumptions about what it takes to run a progressive, sustainable and profitable farming operation.

Touching on key topics such as growth, machinery, labour, risk and the entrepreneurial mindset, you’ll leave this presentation inspired to make positive changes on your own farm. Hebert is widely considered one of the brightest young minds in farming today and the face of modern farming in Canada. You won’t want to miss this myth-busting session with Kristjan!

Kristjan points to 10 principles that are the foundation of business growth:

• Know cost and opportunity: “We know our cost of production very, very well. So, we try not to worry too much if we miss the top of the market as long as we’re always locking in margins above cost.”
• Get the Facts, Make a Decision: “Get the facts, make a decision and don’t be scared of that decision. If three weeks from now you find out that decision was wrong, make a new one and get the course right. It’s ingrained in our culture that we’re not scared of making decisions.”
• Take Pride in Your Business: “Our mission is to be an operation of distinction, which is something to be proud of in any enterprise. We have a real passion to help agriculture be viewed as a real business and the backbone of North America.”
• Pursue Perfection: “If your goal is perfection, you’ve got a shot at being excellent. We want to be 5% better at everything instead of 100% better at one thing, whether that’s cleaning out a bin right or making the right marketing decision.”
• Embrace Change: “The idea that ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ probably isn’t right. You just haven’t looked hard enough.”
• Hire for the Right Culture: “We hire more on attitude and smarts than skill. We like to hire people who like challenges, learning new things, working hard and having a team mentality. That’s the culture we’re trying to create.”
• Keep Good Records: “Have good records both for proactive planning and reactive reprimanding. You can have frank, open discussions on things that need to change, but also be proactive so mistakes don’t happen again.”
• Work Safely: Make it a safe place to work for everybody. Teams should work together and keep an eye on each other.
• Get Outside Perspective: Use outside perspective to collaborate and generate new ideas. Confirming our own ideas with others is also a great way to make the right decision.
• Network: Find out what others are doing to improve their businesses through networking. With everything changing so fast these days, it is important for us to learn what works best as fast as we can.

Hear how a few small changes can have a big impact on your revenue. Kristjan Hebert explains why the 5% rule could change the way you run your farm.

Presentation Highlights

• 5% increase on yields and marketing with a 5% decrease on costs can mean a 117% increase on your bottom line
• Having a plan, knowing your cost of production and locking in your profits are three simple rules for maximizing success
• Small improvements over the course of a growing season can make a big difference
• Things like talking to an agronomist, using more inputs, or sectional control can help increase your yields