By Angela Lovell
The Monea family has grown their diversified agricultural enterprise west of Wetaskiwin, Alberta, by never losing sight of their long-term vision: “Working together to feed the world in a safe and sustainable manner.”
Today, Troy Monea successfully manages 32 quarters of grain and pastureland, has an Angus-Simmental influenced cow/calf herd, and runs G&T Custom Farming Ltd., which provides custom farming and trucking services in central Alberta. The secret to keeping it all running smoothly: clear insight, a solid team, planning for the future, and embracing innovation and technology.
Growing up on the farm, Monea’s big goal was to expand the operation while working with modern farm equipment. “All I wanted to do as a young child was farm,” he says. “And I got a lot of trust from my dad to do things from an early age.” He began driving a self-propelled bale wagon at 10 years old, helping build what would later become a multifaceted agricultural business.
Troy’s parents, Gerry and Chris Monea, purchased the family farm in 1974, after relocating from Calgary. They started with just three-quarters of grain land, some pastureland and a herd of purebred Limousin cattle.
Though initially small, the farm quickly grew roots in custom work when Gerry bought a self-propelled bale wagon. A young Troy began hauling hay and custom baling for neighbours, then expanded into silage, combining and trucking services.
G&T Custom Farming Ltd. was founded in 1993, and the family’s passion for agriculture inspired the company vision to “consistently exceed customer expectations through a team of highly motivated employees, and to provide services that are environmentally safe and economically sound.”
Today, the company has an extensive line of modern equipment, allowing it to provide cost-effective crop application services to farming businesses, with a focus on planting, fertilizer application, crop protection, forage harvesting (including grain and corn), harvesting and field preparation. The company also offers a full range of trucking services for the transportation of gravel, grain, oilseeds, fertilizer, hay, heavy equipment, rig mats and frac sand.
Expanding with strategy and timing
For many years, the farm’s land base remained relatively modest. But at just 18 years old, Monea took a bold step forward – purchasing his first quarter section and setting in motion a journey of expansion built on resilience and determination.
“This area is incredibly competitive when it comes to land acquisition,” Monea says. “Every sector of agriculture is actively expanding, and international buyers often see our land as affordable compared to prices back home. That perspective drives demand even higher. It’s a completely different mindset, and one that can make it increasingly difficult for local producers to compete.”
Despite the challenges, Monea sees the upside. “It’s exciting to see so many farmers optimistic about the future of agriculture,” he adds. “That kind of energy drives innovation and growth across the industry.”
By 2007, after Monea and his wife, Holly, started their family, the road to expansion still felt uncertain. Land was scarce and prices continued to climb. Monea even began exploring options in Saskatchewan, where farmland was more attainable. But just as he considered making the move, opportunity came knocking, and it was closer to home than he could have ever imagined.
“By chance, I drove past a piece of land just six miles from home – land we pass by every day – and saw a ‘For Sale’ sign,” he recalls. “It was a high six figures for all three quarters, which, at the time, seemed steep. But this purchase would double our farm’s size. I called the realtor immediately. Within two hours, she told me we had an accepted offer; we were first on the list, and there were seven backup offers, all higher. That deal changed everything. It gave us the equity, the momentum and the confidence to grow. It was the turning point.”
Since that pivotal moment, the farm has continued to grow, a reflection of Monea’s strategic vision and steady commitment to sustainable growth. Even as the agricultural landscape continues to evolve, he remains grounded in the advice he received early on from the farmers he looked up to.
“I used to ask experienced farmers, ‘If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be?’ And almost all of them said the same thing: ‘I would have bought more land.’ When I asked why they didn’t, the answer was always either they didn’t have the money, or the land seemed too expensive at the time,” he says. “It’s no different today. Land that was $400,000 or $500,000 a quarter less than five years ago is now over a million. But bold moves made with intention are what create opportunities.”
Building a team and a system
Running multiple enterprises across thousands of acres requires more than just equipment; it takes people and systems. Monea employs 10 to 16 seasonal workers and maintains a core team of 10 year-round. His wife, Holly, manages the books and administration, while his sister-in-law, Amy, handles logistics and dispatch for the trucking division.
“Everybody we haul for loves dealing with Amy because she’s organized and plans ahead,” says Monea. “And Holly’s detailed approach to the finances ensures we make sound decisions backed by data.”
Even their three sons, Tantyn (17), Nashton (15) and Grayson (13) are actively involved and share their father’s passion for farming and machinery. With succession already in mind, Monea says, “We needed to continue to grow the farm with sustainability and the next generation in mind.”
Technology at the core of decision-making
One of the biggest enablers of growth has been technology. From the shop to the office, innovation touches every aspect of the business.
“All our equipment is trackable from my phone. I can monitor speeds, diagnose issues and access real-time billing data for custom work,” he explains. “Accuracy matters. We need to be confident in our data and in how we are managing the needs of our customers. Technology and detailed recordkeeping allows us to be precise and transparent.”
On the crop side, data collection from GPS-enabled equipment and integrated farm management software supports everything from seeding to harvesting. When considering equipment upgrades, data drives the decision.
“That’s how we justified upgrading to the John Deere X9 combine,” he says. “After running a demo and feeding its productivity and fuel data into our system, it was an easy decision to upgrade. This decision allowed us to downsize from three combines to two and improved efficiency.”
With such a strong interest in equipment and technology, it’s not surprising that Monea sits on the industry advisory committee for Agri-Trade, one of North America’s premier farm equipment shows.
Smart marketing and risk mitigation
Monea does all the marketing and knows there’s no substitute for keeping a close eye on the markets and understanding the factors influencing them. He relies on market analysis, agronomy and intuition to choose crops. “You’ve got to understand your own farm’s cost of production and market cycles,” he says. “In uncertain times, aligning inputs with global market forecasts can help minimize risk.”
Being diversified across cattle, grains, custom work and trucking allows Monea to weather the ups and downs of commodity markets more effectively.
“Understanding operational break-evens and forecasts allows the operation to pivot quickly to ensure long-term success,” he says. “You’ve got to plan long term; six to 24 months ahead, while being adaptive and willing to adjust the course of action based on current weather and market events. When something hits the news, the market has already moved, so to be successful you need to be looking for opportunities and not reacting to current events.”
Sustainable business practices
Monea also treats each business unit – farming, trucking and custom work – as its own stand-alone enterprise. “When I seed or spray my fields, I bill myself the same as I would a customer,” he says. “That ensures the custom division is sustainable and can justify equipment upgrades and staff.”
This disciplined approach ensures the business remains financially viable even in an era of high equipment costs.
A mindset for innovation
Diversification may not be right for everyone, and it must fit the individual and the farm, says Monea. Ultimately, he believes success in farming comes down to passion, mindset and adaptability. “If you’re passionate about something, you’ll go to the marketing courses, the succession planning sessions and find the best tools to get better at it,” he says. “Innovation isn’t just about technology; it’s about continuously learning and improving in the areas that matter most to your farm.”
