#FarmHerOntario: Marguerite Guilbeault
Did you know that 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer? Join us throughout the year as we spotlight our #FarmHerOntario farmers to showcase the important role women grain farmers play in our food system. This month, Marguerite Guilbeault reflects on how farming has both evolved and remained a constant in her family’s history.
My husband, son, and I run a family farm, where we grow a variety of crops. We try and get in a rotation of corn and soybeans, which has benefits for the soil and our operation. All of this takes place on over 2000 acres of farmland, some of which is sharecropped (where farmers rent land and pay with a portion of crops produced instead of cash).
What work looks like can vary a lot by the season. I do some sales work for a seed company. This company sells grain seeds to farmers across the province so we will be delivering shipments all winter before planting season. Winter is also an important time for doing repairs and preparing equipment for the year ahead. When it comes to planting or harvest season, we have two extra people who assist our family. The grain we harvest is then shipped to grain elevators to be sold when the market is right.
Farming has always been a part of the family, both for myself and my husband. We started on our farm in 1987 when we bought it from my husband’s father, and since then, it’s been a part of every aspect of our lives. We have done a little bit of everything, from turkey farming to small-scale egg production along with our grain farming.
It took a while to consider myself a farmer, despite doing it all my life. The jobs I did around the farmer weren’t always just being on the tractor but included being involved in every part of the business. Moving equipment, doing finances, making meals, planning and keeping everything organized are all essential parts of the job that can often get overlooked.
As a farmer, you need to adapt to new technologies and keep up with an ever-changing landscape. It’s a process of always improving, always looking for something to do.
In addition to our work, we are also active in many agricultural associations. There are less farmers nowadays than there used to be, so communication is more important than ever before. It is important for us to get the younger generation involved in agriculture, so that we can continue to farm here in Ontario.
Farming can be difficult work. Sometimes you have to motivate yourself to keep on going, but there are so many things that can drive you: the outdoors, the community, and the people you care for. It is rewarding to know that we are still farming just the way that my parents farmed.
