Melvin Leroy Erickson:
Dedicated in regenerativ farming
Melvin Leroy Erickson in Erickson Agro Family Far, in reunion 2014. Photo: Svein Helge Falstad
The flags are in use often in Erickson Agro Family Farm. Family Reunions are held rather often - started in 1978 - then held every third year. Often at the farm, and often other places. The last reunion held in Osoyoos in 2026.
Melvin Leroy’s farming history
The interview with Mel starts with Svein Helge asking what Mel remember about his granddad, Elmer Reynold Erickson.
- Well, I have very fond memories of Grandpa Elmer. He was an avid ball player and ball fan. Not a player when I remember him, but he told lots of stories about playing ball in South Dakota. And he would take Dennis and I to ball games every chance that he got, and Mel start laughing:
- Sometimes he would get in trouble with my mom because she thought we were just trying to get out of work. The Norwegian way was you work and if you have time to play, then you play. But normally it was work. And my grandpa was if there was a ball game, then the work was going to have to wait just a little bit. So there was issues
sometimes, but my mom was very understanding, but she didn't like us to be taking off to a ball game when there was work to be done.
- Was she a kind of a boss on the farm?
- No, my dad was pretty easy going all the time. And he liked ball. I don't think he was a ball fanatic. He played ball when he was a kid. But no, my mom was raised that ball was only if you had time. And so her and grandpa didn't agree on things, but she never, ever said a crossword to grandpa about that. Yeah. But, you now, my grandpa liked play ball …
Grandpa Elmer Reynold Erickson was born January 11, 1888, and died Sept. 13, 1970.
- I should have checked that date. Yeah, but I didn't, I didn't find it. You got it. Yeah. Cause I believe I was at summer camp when he passed away. So it was a tough time for me.
- Okay. Do you remember anything about his way of farming?
- Yes. My grandpa and I were fairly similar. I found later in life that he was very fussy about how things were done, that things had to be done a certain way and everything was very logical and done in very much in an orderly fashion. And I remember many times going out and fixing fence, barbed wire fence, but building fence. And we would spend a lot of time, and he would show me how to make the fence really straight. Yeah. So he would go, you know, two kilometers or three kilometers down the road to find a place to line up the fence to make sure it was perfectly straight. Yeah. Before we built this short, you know, maybe only a half a kilometer or a one kilometer long fence, he would have to make sure it was perfectly straight.
Mel says that of course grandpha Elmer was the one that showed him where the metal markers were when they first surveyed Canada, when he came to a, well, it was just before he immigrated here, but they all knew exactly where the metal pins were.
- So that was an interesting thing for me, for him to explain how they measured by a certain length of chain and how they had to do this and how accurate it was with their limited technology. Yeah. So he taught me about that and about making sure everything was orderly wherever it was on the farm.
Elmer worked with the Railway Survey parties & Engineers, from the Battle River (east of Irma) to as far west as Hinton. (1908-09 -400 kms). Mel have read this from Uncle Lloyd"s memoirs
The interview with Mel starts with Svein Helge asking what Mel remember about his granddad, Elmer Reynold Erickson.
- Well, I have very fond memories of Grandpa Elmer. He was an avid ball player and ball fan. Not a player when I remember him, but he told lots of stories about playing ball in South Dakota. And he would take Dennis and I to ball games every chance that he got, and Mel start laughing:
- Sometimes he would get in trouble with my mom because she thought we were just trying to get out of work. The Norwegian way was you work and if you have time to play, then you play. But normally it was work. And my grandpa was if there was a ball game, then the work was going to have to wait just a little bit. So there was issues
sometimes, but my mom was very understanding, but she didn't like us to be taking off to a ball game when there was work to be done.
- Was she a kind of a boss on the farm?
- No, my dad was pretty easy going all the time. And he liked ball. I don't think he was a ball fanatic. He played ball when he was a kid. But no, my mom was raised that ball was only if you had time. And so her and grandpa didn't agree on things, but she never, ever said a crossword to grandpa about that. Yeah. But, you now, my grandpa liked play ball …
Grandpa Elmer Reynold Erickson was born January 11, 1888, and died Sept. 13, 1970.
- I should have checked that date. Yeah, but I didn't, I didn't find it. You got it. Yeah. Cause I believe I was at summer camp when he passed away. So it was a tough time for me.
- Okay. Do you remember anything about his way of farming?
- Yes. My grandpa and I were fairly similar. I found later in life that he was very fussy about how things were done, that things had to be done a certain way and everything was very logical and done in very much in an orderly fashion. And I remember many times going out and fixing fence, barbed wire fence, but building fence. And we would spend a lot of time, and he would show me how to make the fence really straight. Yeah. So he would go, you know, two kilometers or three kilometers down the road to find a place to line up the fence to make sure it was perfectly straight. Yeah. Before we built this short, you know, maybe only a half a kilometer or a one kilometer long fence, he would have to make sure it was perfectly straight.
Mel says that of course grandpha Elmer was the one that showed him where the metal markers were when they first surveyed Canada, when he came to a, well, it was just before he immigrated here, but they all knew exactly where the metal pins were.
- So that was an interesting thing for me, for him to explain how they measured by a certain length of chain and how they had to do this and how accurate it was with their limited technology. Yeah. So he taught me about that and about making sure everything was orderly wherever it was on the farm.
Elmer worked with the Railway Survey parties & Engineers, from the Battle River (east of Irma) to as far west as Hinton. (1908-09 -400 kms). Mel have read this from Uncle Lloyd"s memoirs
Anna Honningsvaag, maybe before going to Canada- Picture from Simon's photograph, Aalesund.
I never did know my grandmother
Melvin stops speaking a second or two, there he is sitting outside the hotel in Osoyoos in very warm weather. He then says:
- I'm sad that I never did know my grandmother, grandma Anna. But my uncle Lloyd filled me in on many things about grandma. And my uncle John and aunt Ewelyn and others, you know, related a lot of information about grandma Anna and later when we started to realize how many relatives we have over in Norway.
Mel then tells that he was fortunate to go on a trip with his mom Lilly and dad Edwin Ralph, and uncle John Leroy Erickson to go to Norway in 2002, he think it was.
- And we met a lot of relatives at Honningsvog and at Fluvog and at Skarset and Aukra Island up by Molde.
- These areas are from your mother Lilly’s relatives?
- Yeah. From my mother's side. My mother, Lilly, had only one sibling, Erling. Her parents were Sivert Fluevog from across from Stadlandet by Fiskaa, & her mother was Lena Skarset from west of Molde. When they moved to Canada in 1928 they changed their last name to Nilson.
Melvin stops speaking a second or two, there he is sitting outside the hotel in Osoyoos in very warm weather. He then says:
- I'm sad that I never did know my grandmother, grandma Anna. But my uncle Lloyd filled me in on many things about grandma. And my uncle John and aunt Ewelyn and others, you know, related a lot of information about grandma Anna and later when we started to realize how many relatives we have over in Norway.
Mel then tells that he was fortunate to go on a trip with his mom Lilly and dad Edwin Ralph, and uncle John Leroy Erickson to go to Norway in 2002, he think it was.
- And we met a lot of relatives at Honningsvog and at Fluvog and at Skarset and Aukra Island up by Molde.
- These areas are from your mother Lilly’s relatives?
- Yeah. From my mother's side. My mother, Lilly, had only one sibling, Erling. Her parents were Sivert Fluevog from across from Stadlandet by Fiskaa, & her mother was Lena Skarset from west of Molde. When they moved to Canada in 1928 they changed their last name to Nilson.
Horses, chickens, turkeys and cows
- Did the elder generations have horses, cattle and pigs and other animals?
- Yeah. When I was young, we had horses and chickens and the turkeys, not so much then. I was very young, and remember that we had cows, Range cattle for beef and we had, milk cows. I guess I have, Mel says.
He says his memories are okay with that because, when he was old enough to have to do some of the milking himself, his dad bought two machines, for milking.
- So I never had to do much milking by hand. No. But one of the things I remember vividly was putting up three poles and hoisting up either a beef or pork pig and, skinning it and cutting it up and freezing it and putting it either in the well pit or, or in the freezer later on.
Mel notes that that was a very big deal for him.
- And also in the same kind of thing, when we put up hay, we used to load loose hay into the hay rack and put the frame underneath it. And then we would hoist the hay up into the hayloft of the barn with a long rope and the tractor and pulleys and lift it up.And then he tells that they had a dump system up in the hayloft, and it would dump the hay in the hayloft. So that was interesting, a vivid memory. Yeah.
- Did the elder generations have horses, cattle and pigs and other animals?
- Yeah. When I was young, we had horses and chickens and the turkeys, not so much then. I was very young, and remember that we had cows, Range cattle for beef and we had, milk cows. I guess I have, Mel says.
He says his memories are okay with that because, when he was old enough to have to do some of the milking himself, his dad bought two machines, for milking.
- So I never had to do much milking by hand. No. But one of the things I remember vividly was putting up three poles and hoisting up either a beef or pork pig and, skinning it and cutting it up and freezing it and putting it either in the well pit or, or in the freezer later on.
Mel notes that that was a very big deal for him.
- And also in the same kind of thing, when we put up hay, we used to load loose hay into the hay rack and put the frame underneath it. And then we would hoist the hay up into the hayloft of the barn with a long rope and the tractor and pulleys and lift it up.And then he tells that they had a dump system up in the hayloft, and it would dump the hay in the hayloft. So that was interesting, a vivid memory. Yeah.
Early picture of Erickson Agro Family Farm
Around 10,000 bales altogether
- Was it hard work?
- Yeah. That system was really incredible for saving a lot of work. Because we also, later on we put small bales in there and that was more work than putting that loose hay in. So, you know, after that went out of style, we put small bales, 50 pound or 25 kg bales, of slew hay and of tame hay and of straw and of green feed. And Mel tells that there would have been around 10,000 bales altogether of all of those types that the farm would bale and stoop. And then Mel and rest og family would put them in big piles all around the barn for windbreak and for ease of feeding and bedding the cows in the wintertime. When it got really cold.
- Is the farm, the same size today that it was from the beginning?
- No, there's been a lot of expansion. I remember about five main fields when I was very young and then it expanded, you know, the James place dad bought in the sixties. So that was another 300 acres. And then in 1980, when we moved home to the farm, we purchased four quarters of my mom's home farm, the Nielsen farm, Nielsen Fluvog farm. And we rented land from the Licknesses, just west of our farm and Oren Spring who had passed away from a heart attack. So that was the first enlargement that we had. That was on the farm for many years.
- Was it hard work?
- Yeah. That system was really incredible for saving a lot of work. Because we also, later on we put small bales in there and that was more work than putting that loose hay in. So, you know, after that went out of style, we put small bales, 50 pound or 25 kg bales, of slew hay and of tame hay and of straw and of green feed. And Mel tells that there would have been around 10,000 bales altogether of all of those types that the farm would bale and stoop. And then Mel and rest og family would put them in big piles all around the barn for windbreak and for ease of feeding and bedding the cows in the wintertime. When it got really cold.
- Is the farm, the same size today that it was from the beginning?
- No, there's been a lot of expansion. I remember about five main fields when I was very young and then it expanded, you know, the James place dad bought in the sixties. So that was another 300 acres. And then in 1980, when we moved home to the farm, we purchased four quarters of my mom's home farm, the Nielsen farm, Nielsen Fluvog farm. And we rented land from the Licknesses, just west of our farm and Oren Spring who had passed away from a heart attack. So that was the first enlargement that we had. That was on the farm for many years.
We quit using the binder
- When Ralph took over after Elmer, did he change anything? As you remember?
- Yes. We quit using the binder for stooking. That was at the very beginning for green feed and for hay, not for straw, but for feed. And we would have to hand stook them and stand up the sheath standing up to dry. And there'd be, uh, eight of them, three on each side and one on each end. And as kids, we had a hard time learning how to do it exactly. And of course my grandpa and my dad knew exactly how to put them and they could make a stook in, you know, less than a minute. They knew exactly how to do it. Yeah. And so that was something to learn how to do.
So when Mels dad, Edwin Ralph, took over, he bought a combine. Mels think it was a 28 Massey. And Ralph started the combining. So Mel remember learning to drive the family car with push button automatic from the house. He would drive half a mile south in the field and Mel would sit on his mom's lap.
That would have been when Mel has been about five or six years old. He and Lilly would take lunch down to the threshing crew, driving the car in field.
- It was shortly after that, when I was seven or eight years old, dad bought, purchased the combine and drove it. I think it was about 150 kilometers west. He drove it all the way home, and my dad was very fussy about music.
Mel says that Ralph was a really good singer, and he could play the piano and he loved to have the news playing.
- When Ralph took over after Elmer, did he change anything? As you remember?
- Yes. We quit using the binder for stooking. That was at the very beginning for green feed and for hay, not for straw, but for feed. And we would have to hand stook them and stand up the sheath standing up to dry. And there'd be, uh, eight of them, three on each side and one on each end. And as kids, we had a hard time learning how to do it exactly. And of course my grandpa and my dad knew exactly how to put them and they could make a stook in, you know, less than a minute. They knew exactly how to do it. Yeah. And so that was something to learn how to do.
So when Mels dad, Edwin Ralph, took over, he bought a combine. Mels think it was a 28 Massey. And Ralph started the combining. So Mel remember learning to drive the family car with push button automatic from the house. He would drive half a mile south in the field and Mel would sit on his mom's lap.
That would have been when Mel has been about five or six years old. He and Lilly would take lunch down to the threshing crew, driving the car in field.
- It was shortly after that, when I was seven or eight years old, dad bought, purchased the combine and drove it. I think it was about 150 kilometers west. He drove it all the way home, and my dad was very fussy about music.
Mel says that Ralph was a really good singer, and he could play the piano and he loved to have the news playing.
Ralph (Honningsvaag) Erickson, Mels father.
A radio to play from threshing machine
Mel tells that his father Ralph loved to have music going all the time. And he installed immediately in his first combine with no cab, a radio that was loud enough to play even when the threshing machine was working or the combine was working in the field.
- Yeah. So he was well known for having a radio that could be heard throughout the community when he was out combining. And he also installed a radio in our barn so that the cows could have music when they were milking.
- Wow, that was funny. Because in Norway they started to do this in the 1980s too. They found out that cowes became calmer and milked better when listening to music.
- Oh, is that right, Mel asked?
- Yeah. Because when I was between 15 to 25, I have been working in cow-farms ten years in Ekne, Mid-Norway. Allmost every weekend, every summer and every christmas. And I put the radio in the room with the cows and the cows they loved it. Me too.
- My dad was very fussy about that. The radio had to be on when he was milking. Anna was on in the combine when he harvested. So that was, yeah …, when I was fairly young, we started combining. And that was a big change to retire the threshing machine and do everything with the combine. At the very beginning it was all straight cut combining and it wasn't until probably eight or ten years later that farmers started swathing, putting in a swath to dry and then coming with the pickup header and picking up the swath.
Mel tells that his father Ralph loved to have music going all the time. And he installed immediately in his first combine with no cab, a radio that was loud enough to play even when the threshing machine was working or the combine was working in the field.
- Yeah. So he was well known for having a radio that could be heard throughout the community when he was out combining. And he also installed a radio in our barn so that the cows could have music when they were milking.
- Wow, that was funny. Because in Norway they started to do this in the 1980s too. They found out that cowes became calmer and milked better when listening to music.
- Oh, is that right, Mel asked?
- Yeah. Because when I was between 15 to 25, I have been working in cow-farms ten years in Ekne, Mid-Norway. Allmost every weekend, every summer and every christmas. And I put the radio in the room with the cows and the cows they loved it. Me too.
- My dad was very fussy about that. The radio had to be on when he was milking. Anna was on in the combine when he harvested. So that was, yeah …, when I was fairly young, we started combining. And that was a big change to retire the threshing machine and do everything with the combine. At the very beginning it was all straight cut combining and it wasn't until probably eight or ten years later that farmers started swathing, putting in a swath to dry and then coming with the pickup header and picking up the swath.
Lilly Nilson, from Fluevog, close to Stadlandet. Mels mother.
Reunion in 2017, in Erickson Agro Family Farm. Laurie and Mels house.
Never enough money to go around
Mel didn't think about being a farmer at the beginning. He wanted to do something else.
- Yes, Mels answered. His Uncle John Leroy Erickson was the youngest son of Grandpa and Anna. And when I was very young, I had an interest in flying, Mel says, and takes small breake to think …
- Of course, Uncle Lloyd was involved in flying and very interested in aviation. And I decided fairly young that that's what I wanted to be, was a pilot. So my parents said, well, if you're really serious, you should go stay with Uncle John in Vancouver.
So in high school, Mel went down and stayed for a week with his Uncle John. And John showed him around the airport and where he checked in and all what he had to do day to day and his homework that he had to do between runs to different places all over the world.
- Uncle John showed me the good parts and the not so good parts that were kind of tough that I'd have to do a lot of studying. So I still, because he said you needed to be good in physics and good in math and you needed to enjoy those subjects and the weather. And I liked all three of those subjects. So I decided that's what I was going to be.
Mel felt that time that because his brother was interested in the farm, that I was more interested in, much more interested in flying with all the hard work with cleaning out dirty pig pens and pig houses and chicken houses. And the barns.
- I decided that if I was to ever get married and have a family, I didn't want my family to have to do that. And it seemed like when I was young, there was never enough money to go around. So it always seemed to be like hard times. And I thought that would be much better for me to be up in the air flying those airplanes and be down cleaning out the pig house.
Mel didn't think about being a farmer at the beginning. He wanted to do something else.
- Yes, Mels answered. His Uncle John Leroy Erickson was the youngest son of Grandpa and Anna. And when I was very young, I had an interest in flying, Mel says, and takes small breake to think …
- Of course, Uncle Lloyd was involved in flying and very interested in aviation. And I decided fairly young that that's what I wanted to be, was a pilot. So my parents said, well, if you're really serious, you should go stay with Uncle John in Vancouver.
So in high school, Mel went down and stayed for a week with his Uncle John. And John showed him around the airport and where he checked in and all what he had to do day to day and his homework that he had to do between runs to different places all over the world.
- Uncle John showed me the good parts and the not so good parts that were kind of tough that I'd have to do a lot of studying. So I still, because he said you needed to be good in physics and good in math and you needed to enjoy those subjects and the weather. And I liked all three of those subjects. So I decided that's what I was going to be.
Mel felt that time that because his brother was interested in the farm, that I was more interested in, much more interested in flying with all the hard work with cleaning out dirty pig pens and pig houses and chicken houses. And the barns.
- I decided that if I was to ever get married and have a family, I didn't want my family to have to do that. And it seemed like when I was young, there was never enough money to go around. So it always seemed to be like hard times. And I thought that would be much better for me to be up in the air flying those airplanes and be down cleaning out the pig house.
- Laurie and Mel got married that first year, and Mel worked there for seven years and enjoyed the passes of the airlines just like some of his other relatives.
Mount Royal College in Calgary
- What happened?
- So I went to college at Mount Royal College in Calgary in the aviation diploma course. I enrolled in a two year program. And at that time, there was three different colleges that offered that training, one down east and one in BC and in Calgary. And Calgary had the best reputation at the time and everybody that graduated got a job.
Mel decided it was very simple. And my parents said, if you want to borrow the money, we'll help you with living expenses and you borrow for the tuition. So he did that. And after one year of studying and really enjoying it and getting his private license and commercial license, he realized that the second year students who had their airline transport rating and their multi endorsement when they graduated, none of them were getting jobs.
- So all of a sudden I realized that I, that was not an option that I had thought about. So I decided I did not want to have any more loans. So I moved, we moved to Edmonton and my uncle Lloyd said they needed farm kids to load baggage and heavy freight onto the airplanes. Like my older brother Dennis had done a couple of years before.
Mel decided that was where he was going to go temporarily until he got his flying job. So he moved up there and they immediately got married to Laurie.
- Laurie and I got married that first year, and I worked there for seven years and enjoyed the passes of the airlines just like some of our other relatives. And when an opportunity came up at home with my, with our neighbor, Oren Spring who passed away and with my uncle who decided to become a carpenter, there was some land available to purchase and to rent.
- What happened?
- So I went to college at Mount Royal College in Calgary in the aviation diploma course. I enrolled in a two year program. And at that time, there was three different colleges that offered that training, one down east and one in BC and in Calgary. And Calgary had the best reputation at the time and everybody that graduated got a job.
Mel decided it was very simple. And my parents said, if you want to borrow the money, we'll help you with living expenses and you borrow for the tuition. So he did that. And after one year of studying and really enjoying it and getting his private license and commercial license, he realized that the second year students who had their airline transport rating and their multi endorsement when they graduated, none of them were getting jobs.
- So all of a sudden I realized that I, that was not an option that I had thought about. So I decided I did not want to have any more loans. So I moved, we moved to Edmonton and my uncle Lloyd said they needed farm kids to load baggage and heavy freight onto the airplanes. Like my older brother Dennis had done a couple of years before.
Mel decided that was where he was going to go temporarily until he got his flying job. So he moved up there and they immediately got married to Laurie.
- Laurie and I got married that first year, and I worked there for seven years and enjoyed the passes of the airlines just like some of our other relatives. And when an opportunity came up at home with my, with our neighbor, Oren Spring who passed away and with my uncle who decided to become a carpenter, there was some land available to purchase and to rent.
When Mel moved home after seven years of being away from the farm and having no interest in the farm, he realized that he knew very little about farming or agriculture.
50 farmers from Mid-Norway visited Erickson Agro Family Farm in 2016. Svein Helge was guide, and the group was planning to just take a small stop, but the people on Erickson Agro Family Far, gave a lot of food to the visitors, guided around on the farm and Mel told about his organic way of getting healthier crops. The norwegian farmers talks a lot about this event after leaving.
Knew very little about farming
Mels dad wanted help and his brother decided that he already had his career chosen. And that was what he was, he excelled at public relations and selling tickets and sales department.
- So Dennis decided that that was where he wanted to be. And so I decided reluctantly that I would move home. And Lori, my wife's parents lived in Irma and they wanted us to, they wanted to be part of our life because of their grandchildren.
Mel tells that it all turned out like that in 1981, they moved to the farm permanently.
- But did you copy Ralph's farming or did you changes something on the farm when taking over? I know you all done something very new stuff after some time?
- Yes. When I moved home after seven years of being away from the farm and having no interest in the farm, I realized that I knew very little about farming or agriculture. And my dad just was happy that I was, had moved home to help him. And so I adopted all of his farming techniques and how we were going to do things.
Mel tells that it just happened to be an Alberta agriculture, representative district agriculture, as they called it in Wainwright, who was anxious to share new ideas with farmers.
- And there was, uh, an ag input supplier for fertilizer and, and herbicides and, um, uh, crop amendments who had just taken over in Viking. And he was very young and very, uh, willing to try new things and new procedures and, and crops. And so him and I got together and we started doing research on my farm almost immediately together with Albert agriculture representative from Wainwright. So we did a lot of plots and a lot of research into varieties and types of fertilizer and rotations, uh, in a limited way at the beginning.
Mels dad wanted help and his brother decided that he already had his career chosen. And that was what he was, he excelled at public relations and selling tickets and sales department.
- So Dennis decided that that was where he wanted to be. And so I decided reluctantly that I would move home. And Lori, my wife's parents lived in Irma and they wanted us to, they wanted to be part of our life because of their grandchildren.
Mel tells that it all turned out like that in 1981, they moved to the farm permanently.
- But did you copy Ralph's farming or did you changes something on the farm when taking over? I know you all done something very new stuff after some time?
- Yes. When I moved home after seven years of being away from the farm and having no interest in the farm, I realized that I knew very little about farming or agriculture. And my dad just was happy that I was, had moved home to help him. And so I adopted all of his farming techniques and how we were going to do things.
Mel tells that it just happened to be an Alberta agriculture, representative district agriculture, as they called it in Wainwright, who was anxious to share new ideas with farmers.
- And there was, uh, an ag input supplier for fertilizer and, and herbicides and, um, uh, crop amendments who had just taken over in Viking. And he was very young and very, uh, willing to try new things and new procedures and, and crops. And so him and I got together and we started doing research on my farm almost immediately together with Albert agriculture representative from Wainwright. So we did a lot of plots and a lot of research into varieties and types of fertilizer and rotations, uh, in a limited way at the beginning.
50 farmers from Mid-Norway visited Erickson Agro Family Farm in 2016. Svein Helge was guide, and the group was planning to just take a small stop, but the people on Erickson Agro Family Far, gave a lot of food to the visitors, guided around on the farm and Mel told about his organic way of getting healthier crops. The norwegian farmers talks a lot about this event after leaving. - 50 farmers from Mid-Norway visited Erickson Agro Family Farm in 2016. Svein Helge was guide, and the group was planning to just take a small stop, but the people on Erickson Agro Family Far, gave a lot of food to the visitors, guided around on the farm and Mel told about his organic way of getting healthier crops. The norwegian farmers talks a lot about this event after leaving. - When your farmer group visited our farm it was a pail of granular Humic acid that I was showing you in the picture, says Mel.
The biology was changing
And as time went on, Mel realized that his research, initial research into chemistry and how fertilizers affect the soil. As he learned more about the interaction of chemistry applied to the soil, he realized that the biology was having, was changing.
- And because of my intensive research, trying to learn more about how things worked in the soil, I started to realize that biology was even more important than chemistry. So I started doing more research in that and learned how to apply friendly amendments and also how to rotate crops.
Mel had an eight year crop rotation from 1990 till 2020, basically, and found that he, cut out the disease that he was fighting with in his crops. And he tried many new crops, like winter wheat and Flax and some other new crops that had never been grown in that area.
- And so I learned that there was an advantage to keep the disease away. Uh, it was a big advantage to do that. And, so yeah, it was a big change for my dad and it was a tough decision. I started to do these new things on the land that I was renting and what I had purchased.
- What was your father against it?
- No, my father was very much, uh, he wasn't really into learning new techniques, because him and his neighbors were very close. They had a very close community and they did in those days. It was, you help your neighbor do everything. And so all the machinery and all the techniques were used by all of his friends and neighbors and their community was very close. Like I said, and they would trade work back and forth and trade seed and do different things to, to the biggest advantage of helping each other.
And as time went on, Mel realized that his research, initial research into chemistry and how fertilizers affect the soil. As he learned more about the interaction of chemistry applied to the soil, he realized that the biology was having, was changing.
- And because of my intensive research, trying to learn more about how things worked in the soil, I started to realize that biology was even more important than chemistry. So I started doing more research in that and learned how to apply friendly amendments and also how to rotate crops.
Mel had an eight year crop rotation from 1990 till 2020, basically, and found that he, cut out the disease that he was fighting with in his crops. And he tried many new crops, like winter wheat and Flax and some other new crops that had never been grown in that area.
- And so I learned that there was an advantage to keep the disease away. Uh, it was a big advantage to do that. And, so yeah, it was a big change for my dad and it was a tough decision. I started to do these new things on the land that I was renting and what I had purchased.
- What was your father against it?
- No, my father was very much, uh, he wasn't really into learning new techniques, because him and his neighbors were very close. They had a very close community and they did in those days. It was, you help your neighbor do everything. And so all the machinery and all the techniques were used by all of his friends and neighbors and their community was very close. Like I said, and they would trade work back and forth and trade seed and do different things to, to the biggest advantage of helping each other.
50 farmers from Mid-Norway visited Erickson Agro Family Farm in 2016. Svein Helge was guide, and the group was planning to just take a small stop, but the people on Erickson Agro Family Far, gave a lot of food to the visitors, guided around on the farm and Mel told about his organic way of getting healthier crops. The norwegian farmers talks a lot about this event after leaving. - When your farmer group visited our farm it was a pail of granular Humic acid that I was showing you in the picture, says Mel.
Not extra money to take chances
Especially when there is tragedy in the community, and there is some of that, Mels explains.
- Things happen in the community. So my father was very much wanting to be helping his neighbors and doing things the same way as they did and vice versa. So new crops and taking big risks on the farm was not common with my grandpa, because things were tough and there wasn't extra money to take chances.
Uh, and gamble on, you know, new ways to do things, says Mel, and continues:
- So, uh, my father wasn't in favor of changing in a big way. No. So it made it a little bit tough, but because I was very much wanting to do my own research and I, I needed to learn about everything because I had had no interest in agriculture.
Mel’s is honest about the fact that it was a steep learning curve for him. But his father appreciate and was happy that is son was able to do that.
- And I learned about how we can be environmentally friendly to our soil, and the crops are actually healthier and more nutritious.
- So you are, you are more or less, working ecologically?
- Yes. Yeah. I call it regenerative agriculture. Some call it regenerative organic agriculture. But I don't like the word organic just because when my grandpa was farming, it wasn't organic, but there was no chemicals or fertilizers. So it was healthier for you than organic is today.
Especially when there is tragedy in the community, and there is some of that, Mels explains.
- Things happen in the community. So my father was very much wanting to be helping his neighbors and doing things the same way as they did and vice versa. So new crops and taking big risks on the farm was not common with my grandpa, because things were tough and there wasn't extra money to take chances.
Uh, and gamble on, you know, new ways to do things, says Mel, and continues:
- So, uh, my father wasn't in favor of changing in a big way. No. So it made it a little bit tough, but because I was very much wanting to do my own research and I, I needed to learn about everything because I had had no interest in agriculture.
Mel’s is honest about the fact that it was a steep learning curve for him. But his father appreciate and was happy that is son was able to do that.
- And I learned about how we can be environmentally friendly to our soil, and the crops are actually healthier and more nutritious.
- So you are, you are more or less, working ecologically?
- Yes. Yeah. I call it regenerative agriculture. Some call it regenerative organic agriculture. But I don't like the word organic just because when my grandpa was farming, it wasn't organic, but there was no chemicals or fertilizers. So it was healthier for you than organic is today.
Mel says that he’l tend to not use the word organic. He would rather refer to it as regenerative in that we're trying to improve the soil and improve the crops that we grow on the soil.
- And the product that we get has more nutrition in it, whether it's for bread or whether it's for pasta or whether it's, you know, flax and peas, peas for soup or, uh, many different types of crops and end uses. They're more nutritious if you have good, healthy, biologically active soil. Reduced chemical fertilizer and added Humics (Humic acid granular in the soil & Fulvic acid liquid to leaves and Molasses, mixed with fertilizer).
- And the product that we get has more nutrition in it, whether it's for bread or whether it's for pasta or whether it's, you know, flax and peas, peas for soup or, uh, many different types of crops and end uses. They're more nutritious if you have good, healthy, biologically active soil. Reduced chemical fertilizer and added Humics (Humic acid granular in the soil & Fulvic acid liquid to leaves and Molasses, mixed with fertilizer).
The new word is regenerative
FYI- this picture was taken June 5,2020 on my 65th birthday. It was officially when Laurie & I officially transferred our farm shares over to Kent & Tausha. It was a bit complicated but essentially they started making all farm related decisions on that date. Very significant date for Laurie & I.
From left - Dan Larson, Kent Erickson, Tausha Holt, Corey Bitzer, Ginger Bitzer, in the middel Wendy Larsen, Melvin Leroy Erickson and Laurie Erickson
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- In Norway, farmers like you, they get the biggest money from the state because they're regenerative driven. They are doing realy good.
- Yes. That is starting to happen here too. It started to happen earlier in United States and a lot of my information and seminars were from the United States. Uh, the Rodale Institute and Acres USA and bio-nutrient food association. Those were three organizations that I did a lot of research and went to seminars, attended their seminars. And they had done a lot of research in agriculture and in regenerative farming techniques. So Mel basically adopted a lot of them on his farm in Alberta, Canada. - So, and the new word is regenerative. So ecological is another term for it, ecologically friendly. And there's testing equipment, you know, Brix meter, refractometer, conductivity meter, penetrometer where you measure the compact, how compact your soil has become. And the tools they measure how your soil is improving. And, and if it is improving. So there's ways, and they're getting new ways all the time to, to measure. |
- And, of course that you can measure the nutrition content of the food. Or of the product that we're growing, whether it's for cattle feed, or whether it's for human consumption.
- Does this mean that your products from your regenerative soil gives you more money than the ordinary farmers, that’s not going ecologically friendly?
- Yeah, that's a really important point. Because our new techniques, or new policies from the government, and because large companies have amalgamated, I guess small companies have amalgamated into larger companies, and the big terminals that have been centralized rather than, an elevator in each little town.
- Does this mean that your products from your regenerative soil gives you more money than the ordinary farmers, that’s not going ecologically friendly?
- Yeah, that's a really important point. Because our new techniques, or new policies from the government, and because large companies have amalgamated, I guess small companies have amalgamated into larger companies, and the big terminals that have been centralized rather than, an elevator in each little town.
Ericson Agro Family Farm.
They centralized the grain
Melvin Leroy Erickson
Mel says that they centralized the grain handling, so that instead of hauling our grain, 10 kilometers or eight miles
to Irma, farmers have to haul 110 kilometers to Camrose, or go to Viking.
- And those big terminals, storage facilities, they load 100 car trains to be very efficient. And now when they load them, they'll load 100 cars of wheat. Or 100 cars of canola. And in my dad's time, you would haul a load of barley, and the next week you might haul a load of wheat. The next year, or the next week you may haul a load of oats.
So the elevator was full of every type of grain. And when the train came in, they would load one car, one car of wheat, and one car of oats, and one car of barley, and one car of flax. And it was very inefficient. But our costs were down.
- In the 80s, they changed the policies to try and get more efficient and save the farmer money. But in the end, the terminals, or the inland terminals that they built, were so expensive, that they never saved us any money. And what has happened, the end result, was the small farmers that couldn't afford to expand, they are now finding that their small equipment and small trucks, they can't afford to transport it 150 kilometers.
Harvest crew about 10 years ago. (approx 2017) From left: Dennis Erickson, Kent Erickson, Tausha Holt, John Leroy Erickson og Melvin Leroy Erickson.
Mel says that these farmers have slowly had to sell their farm or rent it out. And so now the farmers, the farms are getting bigger, larger, and it's more efficient to grow one or two crops, because they only store one or two crops at a time.
And it's very unhandy and inefficient to grow six or eight different crops. Even though it's better for your soil. And it's more regenerative, and you can cut down on your herbicides and your chemicals to spray on it. And fertilizer.
- So it's in my opinion, in the long term, it's not as good. But the small towns are suffering now because the farms are getting larger. And there's getting less, population and less farm support in our small towns.
- Now it's Kent that is the master, isn't it? And does he change a lot of the things?
- Kent is changing some of the things that we've done as new information and new technology and new everything is coming on stream. And it seems like it's happening faster and faster all the time.
Mels says that it is just like that with all technology.
And it's very unhandy and inefficient to grow six or eight different crops. Even though it's better for your soil. And it's more regenerative, and you can cut down on your herbicides and your chemicals to spray on it. And fertilizer.
- So it's in my opinion, in the long term, it's not as good. But the small towns are suffering now because the farms are getting larger. And there's getting less, population and less farm support in our small towns.
- Now it's Kent that is the master, isn't it? And does he change a lot of the things?
- Kent is changing some of the things that we've done as new information and new technology and new everything is coming on stream. And it seems like it's happening faster and faster all the time.
Mels says that it is just like that with all technology.
Blair and Kyler helping on the farm
From left: Blair and Kyler Erickson - Blair born August 2008, Kyler born August 2004. Sons of Kent Erickson and Tausha Holt.
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Kent’s two sons, Blair (20) and Kyler, (18) have also starting to help more on the farm. And they appreciate the technology and the bigger equipment, Mels says.
- We've, rented some more land and expanded a little bit and, have 150 head of cows for beef production. And so they have expanded in a different way, and diversified, which is really healthy for a farm operation to bring in different income and different risks involved with each enterprise. Mel likes that they're taking it a different direction and he’s proud of that. And the regenerative part, Mel think because cows and animals and, and soil and crops are synergistic. - As long as the chemistry of the fertilizer and crop protection products are monitored and, I think it's going in a good direction. Sometimes I think that it's getting, the only way to survive in agriculture is to enlarge. And because we don't sell our product locally, there's no feedback to our farmer. If something is changing or going in a bad direction, we don't get that feedback because very little of our product gets consumed locally. Mm. So I'm not sure if that's a sustainable way to do it, but how to diversify and grow food or feed to supply the local market, whether it's for animals or human consumption. Mel says he is not sure how they can do that. And if there's any desire by the large corporations to diversify in the small communities. So Mel is suspicious that it'll be an uphill battle to try and keep that going in a good direction. - But I'm just proud that my son and grandsons are willing to try and keep the farm going. In my mind, tougher conditions than I had it. And I'm sure grandpa Elmer and grandpa Ralph would be proud of them too. That they're still on the farm and keeping the multi-generation farm going. |
Mel: If young again, farmer or pilot?
- If you were young again, what would you do then? Would you be the farmer or the pilot?
- Oh boy. You know, I've had such a rewarding experience on the farm with our close friendships and, sports participation, whether it's my wife or our kids and now our grandkids. I feel that I've been blessed to have a chance to be on the farm. And in my mind, it turned out for the best. I can't imagine what would have happened if I would have went into the aviation and how things would have happened. But, uh, I would recommend agriculture to anybody, anything that produces food, whether it's for animals or for people, it's a very honorable position. But it, in my mind, it has to be taken very seriously for the food that we're eating because the industry, all the incentives are for profit or most of the incentive incentives are for profit. And it tarnishes the reputation of the food producers when there's poor quality products that get to the market.
Mel’s taking a small pause, thinking before talking again:
- So in my mind, there's a lot of work has to be done. And I guess maybe if I was doing it over again, I would just know that I need to dig deeper and work harder and push harder for, you know, healthier and, and more sustainable, procedures and, and practices that I would do on my, on the soil and, you know, to the food that I'm producing.
- Oh boy. You know, I've had such a rewarding experience on the farm with our close friendships and, sports participation, whether it's my wife or our kids and now our grandkids. I feel that I've been blessed to have a chance to be on the farm. And in my mind, it turned out for the best. I can't imagine what would have happened if I would have went into the aviation and how things would have happened. But, uh, I would recommend agriculture to anybody, anything that produces food, whether it's for animals or for people, it's a very honorable position. But it, in my mind, it has to be taken very seriously for the food that we're eating because the industry, all the incentives are for profit or most of the incentive incentives are for profit. And it tarnishes the reputation of the food producers when there's poor quality products that get to the market.
Mel’s taking a small pause, thinking before talking again:
- So in my mind, there's a lot of work has to be done. And I guess maybe if I was doing it over again, I would just know that I need to dig deeper and work harder and push harder for, you know, healthier and, and more sustainable, procedures and, and practices that I would do on my, on the soil and, you know, to the food that I'm producing.
Proud that his grandsons are carrying on
Mel says that he is proud that his grandsons are carrying it on, but it's an incredible life. But it's an ongoing procedure or process to try and do things in a sustainable way for others who have no experience in growing food, he notes.
- And we have a greenhouse on our farm, in our retirement. Now my wife Laurie looks after that. And so we grow food for ourselves and for some of our neighbors. And I think farmers need to go more into that direction and figure out how we can grow food because 99% of our product we grow out in the big fields are exported to other countries and they process them and value add them. And then we purchase them back again, but they add other preservatives and other chemicals into them. And so we're eating some of our product, but it's not healthy for us to eat, Mels says, and further states:
- And in my mind, that's it not sustainable and it's not, it's tarnishing the reputation of food producers, especially in our country. Yeah. I guess my simple answer is that definitely having any input or any experience or having the ability to grow food is an honorable position. And I'm just proud that I was able to do it.
Mel says that he is proud that his grandsons are carrying it on, but it's an incredible life. But it's an ongoing procedure or process to try and do things in a sustainable way for others who have no experience in growing food, he notes.
- And we have a greenhouse on our farm, in our retirement. Now my wife Laurie looks after that. And so we grow food for ourselves and for some of our neighbors. And I think farmers need to go more into that direction and figure out how we can grow food because 99% of our product we grow out in the big fields are exported to other countries and they process them and value add them. And then we purchase them back again, but they add other preservatives and other chemicals into them. And so we're eating some of our product, but it's not healthy for us to eat, Mels says, and further states:
- And in my mind, that's it not sustainable and it's not, it's tarnishing the reputation of food producers, especially in our country. Yeah. I guess my simple answer is that definitely having any input or any experience or having the ability to grow food is an honorable position. And I'm just proud that I was able to do it.
Melvin would like to include his family members in the summary:
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They have all contributed to my/our farm in some way.
Wendy (born 1975)- married to Dan Larson - Sydney, Macie, Bowen
Ginger (born 1977)- married to Corey Bitzer - Austin, Jessica (married to Ivar Osness), Andrew
Kent (born 1980) - married to Tausha Holt - Kyler, Caris, Blair, Runa
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They have all contributed to my/our farm in some way.
Wendy (born 1975)- married to Dan Larson - Sydney, Macie, Bowen
Ginger (born 1977)- married to Corey Bitzer - Austin, Jessica (married to Ivar Osness), Andrew
Kent (born 1980) - married to Tausha Holt - Kyler, Caris, Blair, Runa
First generation: Elmer Reynold Erickson born January 11, 1888 - died Sept. 13, 1970. He farmed together with his brother, John Erickson.
Three generations. From Left: Kent, Melvin and Ralph.
As Svein Helge knows Melvin Leroy Erickson: He is a dedicated as a regenerative farmer, with high serious knowledge about trying to get better food from farms to the consumer. Mel has with extensive knowledge and sound practices regarding clean food production. It is, in my head, important that future generations at Erickson Agro Family Farm incorporate Mel’s message into their approach to food production. Listen to Melvin!