Brothers Sean and Derek McIntosh lead by example in soil health, water reuse, and pesticide reduction
Brothers Derek and Sean McIntosh are embracing new methods to farm smarter and more sustainably on their sandy soils in Graysville — land long vulnerable to wind erosion and water runoff.
Their forward-thinking practices were featured during a recent Lake Winnipeg Basin Project (LWBP) tour that showcased on-farm water stewardship initiatives aimed at improving soil health, protecting water quality and reducing input costs.
The McIntosh farm was one of four operations participating in the pilot project, a collaboration between eight major organizations from across the food, agriculture and environmental sectors — including Nutrien, Simplot, Cargill, Ducks Unlimited and others. The initiative is guided by the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard and assesses how practices on the land create environmental, social and economic value.
Farming runs deep in the McIntosh family. “Our grandparents, Bob and Ida McIntosh, started the farm in 1954,” said Derek. “Now my brother Sean and I run our potato and grain farm with the help of our dad, Glen. We grow processing potatoes for Simplot.”
Their recent transition to more conservation-focused farming didn’t happen overnight — it’s been driven by a desire to improve both their land base and their bottom line.
“We are always looking for ways to improve our cost of production and improve our land base,” said Derek. “That’s what pushed us to try something different.”
Previously, they seeded canola into aggressively tilled corn trash using an air seeder on 7.5-inch row spacing, which typically required a high seeding rate due to poor placement. “There’s usually a higher mortality rate with an air seeder,” Derek said. “We’d have to use about 450,000 seeds per acre.”
Now, the McIntoshes use a 15-inch corn planter — retrofitted to plant canola — which singulates the seed and offers better placement. “We’re able to reduce our planting rate to 280,000 seeds per acre, saving around $30 per acre in seed costs,” said Sean. “Plus, the planter has no-till trash cleaners, which let us plant into heavier residue without needing extra tillage.”
This change has not only improved seed efficiency but also helped reduce wind erosion and retained soil moisture. “The yield is the same as our previous system, just with less input,” Derek added.
The biggest upfront cost was purchasing the planter, but Derek noted the investment is paying off quickly. “With the seed savings across 1,600 acres of canola, that purchase price is being recouped fast.”
They’ve also been exploring water management innovations. On 480 acres of imperfectly drained land, they’ve installed a closed-loop tile drainage system. “We capture that drainage into a well and pump it back into our irrigation pond,” said Sean. “It lets us reuse the water for our potatoes — saving both moisture and nutrients.”
To reduce herbicide use, the McIntoshes implemented John Deere’s See & Spray technology, a camera-based weed sensing system. “We use it for pre-emergent burn-off and also in-season on corn and soybeans,” said Derek. “We’re seeing an average pesticide reduction of 30 per cent, and some fields have gone as high as 70 per cent.”
While it’s too early to quantify the yield impact, John Deere claims the system benefits crops by reducing the amount of pesticide they need to metabolize. “For us, the biggest thing so far is a reduction in our cost of production,” Sean said.
They’ve also made long-term investments in soil health, sampling the entire farm for nutrients and organic matter for the past 15 years. “There are newer soil health tests we’re interested in trying too,” Derek said. “We’ve been reducing tillage for two decades across all our crops. It’s helping build organic matter and improve moisture retention in our sandy soils.”
Being selected for the LWBP project was a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded growers and other stakeholders. “It’s great to network with other industries and learn how they perceive our farming practices,” said Sean. “The other farmers in the project are doing really innovative stuff too — it’s great to be part of that.”
The July 8 tour brought government officials, Indigenous leaders, researchers, and environmental groups to the farm. “We enjoy showcasing what we do to anyone who’s interested,” Derek said.
As for advice to other farmers considering sustainable shifts, Derek keeps it simple: “Walk before you run. What works here might not work on different soil or in another region. Try things on a small scale and make changes gradually.”
Both brothers see a bright future for Prairie agriculture as technology and stewardship continue to advance. “There’s already a much bigger focus on soil health than there was 20 years ago,” said Sean. “As land values rise, we all want to get the most from the acres we farm and leave it better for the next generation.”
Collaboration, they say, is key. “Whether it’s through research, government programs, or sharing ideas with other farmers, working together helps us move forward faster,” said Derek.
Together, the McIntoshes are proving that precision, conservation, and profitability can go hand in hand on the modern Manitoba farm.
