Repairing equipment is one of many tasks that keep farmers like Cynthia Johnson and her husband busy during the winter.
"My husband is a mechanic. He can fix anything. He's an electrician, he's a carpenter, he's a plumber, thank God, because there's always something like that going wrong on the farm,” Cynthia said.
Friday morning, her husband was working on one of their grain augers. The work wasn't just to get the auger ready for the next season though - it's needed now.
Another item of winter business is hauling grain, and that can't be done without the auger. "We plant mostly wheat, spring wheat and winter wheat, but you can't put them in the same bin. They're different product,” Cynthia explained. "We also grow green peas."
Not all winter work takes place outside: "The majority of your financial stuff has to be taken care of in the winter months. Corporate finance is a little different than personal finance and has different deadlines,” Cynthia said.
An exhausting yet rewarding business: "I have seen moments in time in our lives where the projects in front of you are so overwhelming you've got analysis paralysis. You're just stopped. Those are the days when you need to take care of your mental health,” said Cynthia.
