Bauche Demonstration Project

With his strictly business approach to farming, Bernard Bauche believes it is not how much you farm, but how you farm that counts.

“How you farm makes a big difference,” says the third-generation producer who has witnessed drainage technology and other forms of water management evolve since his father tiled 100 acres in the 1970s. Today, he farms 5,000 acres with his two sons. Moving water from where it is not needed to where it can be used by crops is an ongoing challenge for the Redvers farm.

“Farming is a recipe and part of my recipe is drainage,” says Bauche. Always willing to embrace new technology, he turned to the Water Security Agency (WSA) when considering ways to direct more water from low-lying areas.

“My biggest thing is that WSA is project-oriented now more than it has ever been. That, to me, is the right way to go,” says Bauche, who also serves as reeve of the R.M. of Antler.

In 2019, he began an agricultural water management (AWM) drainage project that is helping to direct water to a natural creek. Determining where the drains, tiles and pumps should be installed, understanding land elevation levels and using the correct technology required extensive planning for the WSA approval process.

“If you do too much, too quick, and you do it wrong, there [are] some serious consequences; so, just take your time and do it right,” he advised.

Doing it right showed that he could produce a quality crop in the low-lying areas, although the higher areas were not as productive in 2021. “I know when I go back in these drained areas, I’ll grow grain.” That is consistency for both Bauche and the bank.

“Bankers don’t like to see you up one big year and down the next. It gives me consistency in my farm and [2021] was an example.” As for efficiency, there has been a dramatic reduction in input costs and the system is helping to restore some marginal land.

“So, this gave me the opportunity to spread it across X amount of years, rather than in one year. That’s valuable.”

He is also fortunate that the Qualified Person (QP) taking care of the drainage approval is his daughter, Chantal, who explained the process to the neighbours. 

“When drainage is implemented on the right land, in the right way, and through the right processes, it can be very beneficial for everyone involved,” Chantal observed.

The AWM project is lowering the water table on the Bauche farm, so saline areas are improving.

“Tough to control weed species such as kochia and foxtail barley are being managed and crop yields within these once poor areas are increasing,” Chantal said, adding that overall soil health and field conditions are improving as a result of the project.

You can view more of the Bernard Bauche Project below.