February 23, 2009, Duluth, Ga. – Trevor Borduzak says he’s known he
wanted to be a custom applicator since he was eight years old and rode
in the three-wheeled TerraGator that was spreading fertilizer on his
family farm.
February 23, 2009, Duluth, Ga. – Trevor Borduzak says he’s known he wanted to be a custom applicator since he was eight years old and rode in the three-wheeled TerraGator that was spreading fertilizer on his family farm.
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| 2008 Canadian Ag-Chem Operator of the Year Trevor Borduzak of Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers Ltd. |
That commitment to the job made the 12-year veteran applicator from Legal, Alberta, the winner of the 2008 Canadian Ag-Chem Operator of the Year contest and the owner of a new Arctic Cat.
Borduzak works for Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers, Ltd., and was named the Operator of the Year during the 2009 Canadian Association of Agri Retailers (CAAR) Conference in Regina, Sask.
“I was shocked this all took place,” Borduzak said. “Getting nominated for the Operator of the Year award was an honor in itself, and winning the award has been amazing. There are a lot of people out there who work really hard. And, I can’t be a good operator without all the people behind me to help make it happen. It was quite humbling to hear they thought that much of me.”
Borduzak began working for Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers after high school. “I really like the machines,” he said. “There aren’t many people who get the opportunity to run iron like this.” And, starting a relationship with a new Ag-Chem dealership, Selmac Sales, with locations in Camrose and Stony Plain, Alberta, he’s been able to keep his TerraGator running smoothly.
Great custom applicators must know what they are doing in the field at all times, Borduzak added. “You need to have knowledge in several areas – agronomy, crop inputs, technology – and understand all phases of the production cycle in order to do your job well. It's important to know crop planning, crop production and crop nutrition. If you are involved in all of that you are going to be a better operator, because you want that much more to come out of the job you do.”
Tom Carleton dispatches all of the custom applicators at Stugeon Valley and has worked with Borduzak for seven years. “It’s quite obvious there is no other operator quite like him,” Carleton said. “He can get more acres done in a day than anyone I know, and always does it accurately.”
Carleton added that Borduzak makes his job easy. “When he’s out working, I know he’s going to be in the right field, and will finish a lot of acres in a day. And, he knows the technology inside and out.”
Borduzak sprays up to 20,000 acres per year, and runs the floater over an additional 15,000 acres. When he’s not spraying or spreading, he farms 1,200 acres of canola, oats and barley, and raises cattle.
The other three finalists for the 2008 Canadian Ag-Chem Operator of the Year program were: Jason Morrow, Double Diamond Farm Supply, Pilot Mound, Manitoba; Gordon Moore, KARE Ag Services, Radisson, Saskatchewan; and Norman Schmidt, Platinum Farm Services, Ltd., Smoky Lake, Alberta.
Recognizing the importance of honouring the unsung contributors in a successful custom application business, the Ag-Chem Canadian Operator of the Year program was introduced in 2007 with the help of CAAR. Judging criteria includes experience, quality of work, customer service, community involvement, customer appreciation and overall dedication to the job.
“We started this program to recognize the good work of our customers,” said Mark Sharitz, director of marketing for Ag-Chem. “They are the guys on the machines doing their best work all day, and who are always willing to work when called on.”
For additional information about the Operator of the Year program and the Ag-Chem line of application equipment visit www.agchem.com.
