Earlton, Ontario, Canada
For Norman Koch, president of Koch Farms/Agri-Sales Inc., Koch Logistics Inc. and Koch Grain Elevator (Earlton) Inc., diversification has been the key in growing the successful family-run venture. With a peak summertime workforce of between 30 and 35 employees, Norm shares the load with his sons, Chad, who handles the field work and equipment and Rob, who’s in charge of the elevators and helps on the Logistics side. Melanie, daughter-in-law works in the office with his wife, Gwen. The operation includes elevator capacity for 1.8 million bushels and a farm equipment fleet of several John Deere combines and fat-wheeled Case IH tractors. On the highway, they run a highway fleet of 15 transport trucks, mostly Kenworths, hauling B-trains of grain for themselves or other customers. The Koch family migrated to the area from New Hamburg in 1986. Norm had worked in the Claybelt since the early 1970s, building and repairing farm silos. The family spread has grown to 10,000 acres in Temiskaming; some owned, some rented, mainly growing cash crops like oats and wheat with some canola, corn and soybean