When Braden and Misty Drul learned they had been named Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2026, it gave them a chance to really reflect on the operation they’ve built.
“It’s not something you do expecting recognition,” Braden said. “It’s just your life and your story.”
That story, built on expansion, diversification and a return to the family farm, earned the Oakburn-area couple the honour at a banquet held March 14 at the Elkhorn Resort, along with a trip to Vancouver for the national competition this fall.
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WHY IT MATTERS: Building a farm that can support multiple families often means thinking beyond acres and finding new revenue streams.
From ag degree to home farm
Braden Drul’s path back to the farm wasn’t automatic, despite an interest in agriculture instilled early by his farm kid upbringing.
While completing an ag business degree at the University of Manitoba, he also explored other parts of the industry, like summer jobs with chemical companies and retail experience.
“I really took a liking to that,” he said. “You get to work with growers and retailers. I got to wear two hats.”
But a part of him was always drawn to farm life.
“I still kept finding myself pulled back to the farm, sneaking back to help,” he said. “Once I graduated, the calling was there.”
Misty Drul’s path was different. Raised on a farm near Sandy Lake, she pursued a career in health care, training as an X-ray and lab technologist at Red River College. She still works casual shifts, but stepped back as the farm expanded and the couple started a family.
With two young children and a growing operation, balancing full-time hospital work with farm responsibilities became increasingly difficult. Stepping back allowed her to stay involved in health care while taking on a larger role in the farm’s day-to-day operations.
Today, the couple farms alongside Braden Drul’s parents in a multi-generational grain and oilseed operation. It’s something he doesn’t take for granted.
That perspective sharpened in 2023, when his father was diagnosed with jaw cancer. He said the diagnosis hit hard and made him realize how precious life is.
“It’s an awesome feeling to work hand in hand with your parents,” he said. “Watching them be able to step back and enjoy life is one of the biggest rewards for us.”
Diversification builds farm for two families
When Braden Drul returned to the farm, one of his biggest challenges was figuring out how to make the operation work for two families. With increasing land prices and input costs, expanding acres alone wasn’t the answer.
Instead, the Druls looked for ways to diversify. In 2019, they launched an equipment assembly business, building a heated shop and pitching their services directly to manufacturers before the facility was even built.
“At first we got some strange looks,” Braden said. “We didn’t even have a shop yet.”
But the approach worked. Once the shop was completed, those early conversations turned into contracts, including work with Meridian Manufacturing.
The business now provides an additional revenue stream and helps stabilize the operation in ways a traditional farm often can’t. It has also allowed them to bring on more employees without putting the full cost directly on the farm, helping address the need for a more stable and reliable labour force.
They later added a Pioneer seed dealership, further expanding the business and building on Braden Drul’s earlier experience working with growers.
Managing the expanded operation
Diversification has also created new demands, particularly on the management side. Running additional businesses brings more administrative work, co-ordination with suppliers and customers and added pressure on time.
For Misty Drul, that has meant taking on more of the office and organizational role, especially now that their youngest child is in school.
“It’s busy, but we manage,” she said.
Planning for the sixth generation
Looking ahead, the focus is on building a farm that can carry forward into the next generation. The couple’s children are already involved in the day-to-day activity of the farm, with an emphasis on sustainability and making sure they have a real opportunity to be part of the business.
The Outstanding Young Farmers recognition has given the Druls a chance to step back and look at how far they’ve come. It’s also opened the door to new connections within the industry.
“It was very humbling,” Misty Drul said. “We met other couples who are successful in different areas of agriculture, and we learned a lot from them.”
For her husband, the recognition carries weight because of where it comes from.
“Being recognized by your peers is the biggest thing,” he said.
