Jeff and Jaclyn Skytt say it’s all about trust. And when you rely on one customer account manager for everything to help you farm over 5,600 acres—that’s a whole lot of trust.
If you head southwest near Horseshoe Canyon, chances are the sprawling acres for as far as your eyes can see, belong to Jeff and Jaclyn Skytt. To say that they are a busy young couple would be an understatement. Farming over 5600 seeded acres of peas, lentils, canola and wheat, there isn’t a day when hard work isn’t on the agenda. Jeff’s grandparents began farming in the 30s near Dalum and his parents bought the homestead near Drumheller when Jeff was just a young boy. He took over the family farm in 1996 and hasn’t rested since.
“Farming was in my blood and I love it. What other job do you get to be outdoors most of the day while working alongside your family?” For Skytt, his family includes his wife Jaclyn and their four children, Ryan, Shae-lynn, Sydney and Anaston. But family doesn’t always mean the people you’re related too he says.
“I’ve been working with our customer account manager, Russ Nail, for over 10 years. He’s basically like family to me. I trust him completely and I know that if I need anything, anytime of the day, that he will do everything to make sure I have it by the next morning. He goes above and beyond time and time again. Even if it means driving to Brooks and then to Oyen, which he’s done, he’ll make sure that he comes through for me.”
They have developed a relationship that goes beyond that of customer and account manager. Their two oldest boys, Ryan and Jayden, are best friends and have grown up playing hockey together. “Russ is just one of those guys that you want to do business with, he gives me the tools to be successful. The rest is up to mother nature.”
Skytt’s loyalty to UFA has spanned years and he says there’s no reason to shop around. “I buy all my crop inputs, fuel, buildings--everything from UFA and I wouldn’t go anywhere else,” says Skytt. “From buying buildings from Kevin Burgess to fuel from Scott McRae to everything Russ Nail provides, this is the team that helps me run my business.”
He also adds that in addition to competitive prices, the knowledge and expertise that he relies on, are also a big reason for his loyalty. “These days, you have kids straight out of school who want to shop around, find the best price and move on. What they don’t realize is that these long-term relationships are the key. Russ is a farmer himself and he knows my farm. The way we market grain is so different than it was 15 years ago, and he gets that. I can’t imagine trusting my business to anyone else.”
Skytt adds that all good farmers need two things. A good account manager and a great wife. “My wife Jaclyn is the glue in this whole operation. She keeps everything running and there were many years before we had kids when I’d be spraying and she’d be seeding, she loves running the equipment. I always joke that when the kids came, I lost my best operator.”
It sounds like Jeff has all he needs to be successful and on behalf of UFA, we wish him and Jaclyn a bountiful harvest.
