Trent Klarenbach interviews Allan Johnston, founder of Johnston’s Grain in Welwyn, Saskatchewan, about growing up on a farm near Moosomin, early interests in machinery, and adopting continuous cropping after witnessing severe soil drifting on neighboring fields. 

Johnston describes losing heavily during early-1980s drought and high interest rates, quitting farming in 1986 to protect family land, and entering grain marketing through Capital Grain and mentorship from Don Monroe. 

He recounts building a mustard business with buyers like PJ Anderson, Elders Grain, and Humboldt Flour Mills, early struggles with cash flow and farmer reliance on the Canadian Wheat Board, and persistence through setbacks. 

Johnston details expansion into DTN market information, poly bag sales, and later major growth under his son Chevy and partner Joel into chemicals, regenerative products, agronomy, and fertilizer, crediting the end of the Wheat Board monopoly and family support.

00:00 Show Intro Guest Reveal

00:35 Welwyn Roots Settlers

01:45 Farm Kid Machine Obsession

03:11 Versatile Tractors Combine Tales

05:58 Continuous Cropping Wind Lesson

08:25 Dad Livestock Legacy Loss

09:01 Seeding Gear Morris Drill

10:51 Drought Debt Quitting Farming

12:11 Starting Johnston Grain Marketing

14:31 Learning Futures Fax Era

15:24 Mustard Breakthrough US Buyers

17:59 Elders Grain Payment Drama

22:44 Trade Show Growth Early Struggles

25:23 Garage Office Poly Bag Pivot

27:31 Scaling Up Employees New Ventures

29:07 Generic Chemicals China Sourcing

31:20 Beating Input Prices

32:06 Hiring Joel and Ottawa Trip

34:42 Fighting Wheat Board Monopoly

36:27 DTN Breakthrough in Canada

38:59 Information Wins Markets

40:57 Scaling Through Great Hires

45:25 Family Travel and Next Gen

47:04 Chemical Risk and Recovery

48:39 New Products and Farmer Due Diligence

52:20 Wheat Board Cash Flow Reality

57:01 Biggest Life Impacts

59:06 Johnstons Daily and Wrap Up

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Klarenbach Research | Trent Klarenbach