Interview with David Couch

DAVID:	Sure Crop Feeds in 1957.
TODD:	What was the purpose of it?
DAVID:	It was started to provide a service for farmers in the Okanagan
TODD:	Who founded it?
DAVID:	It was started and founded by my father, Art Couch, my brother Dwayne Couch and myself David Couch.
TODD:	What were the general problems with starting it?
DAVID:	How we started was we had a self-powered combine which we sold, and we moved up here from the States and my father had quite a bit of equipment that we could use to start the feed mill and we shipped that up. My father actually stayed back in Nebraska while my brother and I started to make feed for our department of equipment which was all powered by gasoline motors; at that time there was no 3 phase power.
TODD:	Did gasoline give you any problems?
DAVID:	Not really, as the business grew. Also, first thing you know we used tractors to power our equipment and then we went from there to a diesel stationary unit and from there we went to electric hydro power. As the business grew and funds became more available we went to more modern feed mill.
TODD:	How has it changed over the years? Things started off in the barn I understand. Could you explain that to me?
DAVID:	Yes, O.K. First the lean we had there was approximately a 60 by 60 old barn and we used that as storage for loft grain, bagged grain and prepared feeds. We also had the office in the building as well. Then a few years later we moved the office complex, south of the building. And we had a store which provided animal medicines and other supplies, supplies that farmers would need, and your corns, and we also had the weigh scale, the first truck weigh scale.
TODD:	What year did you build the office?
DAVID:	We built the office approximately in 1962, and at this office we also had a weigh scale and at the rear of the office and store complex we had a warehouse with all our alfalfa seed etc.
TODD:	When did the mill part that is there now come?
DAVID:	We build the new mill in 1967.
TODD:	Was there anything else built before the new mill was built?
DAVID:	No, we moved everything out of the old mill, and we went strictly hydro power into the new mill we built. And then in a couple years we built the large warehouse on the North end of the feed mill. Originally we never had the warehouse there.
TODD:	Was that in 1969?
DAVID:	Yes. We also put a great big large 70 foot platform scale.
TODD:	That was in 1969?
DAVID:	Yes
TODD:	Before Sure Crop what was there?
DAVID:	Well we purchased the land from Mr. and Mrs.Kuntz
TODD:	What year was that?
DAVID:	1957, and they were growing grain at the time. As we understand, that used to be an old pole yard, and long before that it had been growing grain.
TODD:	Where does Sure Crop get its grain from?
DAVID:	When we first started we purchased all local grain. Then from there, the demand grew for more and more feed. Basically what we were doing was a lot of custom work; by that I mean, people in the area that grew their own grain, would bring it in and we'd grind it and make up feed for them. And then they continued to need more feed. When they started running out of grain we'd bring it in from the Kootneys, the Creston area, and also from the Prairies and Peace River area.
TODD:	Where do you get all your animal supplies?
DAVID:	That was all basically from outfits based in Alberta or Vancouver area
TODD:	Can you remember any funny stories from Sure Crop?
DAVID:	Well, there is several things that had happened. I can remember when we first started that one of our customers, a long time Grindrod resident, Mr. Don McEwen who came to pick up a load of feed in this 60 by 60 barn type building. First we loaded him up with feed, and of course we didn't have concrete in the floor at that time and it was so wet in there that he got stuck inside the building which was our feed mill complex. That's one thing I remember. Another thing I remember is, in the early days we used all tractors to run our hammer mill and our rotor mills. We started really early, my brother and I and some of the hired men. And about 4:00 in the morning we'd start rolling grain, the hired men had proceeded to fill the tractor with gasoline, and being that it was quite dark they had overflowed the fuel tank.Then when we went to go hit the starter, a spark ignited and the whole thing burst into flames. My brother went to go phone the fire dept. Gerald Douglas was the hired man at that time and he went to go get some water or what I don't know, and I went and got some water and buckets. By the time both men got back I had put the fire out. Basically all that had happened was the wires on the tractor had gotten burnt; most of them were bare and the gasoline did not explode because the tank was completely full. So we proceeded on to make feed.
TODD:	When was the new office built?
DAVID:	Towards the middle of 1982, I'd say.
TODD:	Why was it needed?
DAVID:	Well, at the time we had branched out; we were not only running Sure Crop as a Feed Manufacturing plant but as a trucking business. As this operated we were doing a lot of business; we had as high as 70 trucks working in Western Canada and Western States and up into B.C., having different ingredients, and we also were partial owners of McLeod's By - Products. So there was a lot of office type work to be done. So the trucking company and McLeod's By-Products work was being done in the office that was built.
TODD:	Why did you buy McLeod's and other businesses?
DAVID:	Well, one reason we bought into the trucking business was at one time we were on the CPR railine and they had what they call a slow down strike. That the CPR rail did. And we were very fortunate, when we ran out of material it just seemed like the next train always had what we were in need of, whether it be wheat, or oats or barley or soya bean or mill run, you name it, that car would have it. And we just felt that we couldn't be in that position again, that we couldn't get our supplies in, and rely totally upon the railroad. So we decided to bring part of stuff in by truck and we tried to bring a lot of it in by truck during that slow down strike, but all the trucking companies of course at that time were real busy because of the slow down strike. So that's the reason we got involved in the trucking industry, was so we could have a supply of trucks to haul in the dairy herds and several flocks of chickens and beef cattle depending upon you to provide feed for them. So say the railroad went on a strike again we couldn't be left vulnerable to the CPR. So we had our own fleet of trucks bring in the supplies.
TODD:	Did you have a name for the first truck you got?
DAVID:	The first company was called VMR Transport; as that company grew we bought out another company and ran it as West Rim Express Lines.
TODD:	How did the CPR help you when you first started out?
DAVID	The CPR of course brought things in by the car load, which is a lot bigger than by truck. Also the CPR was a few dollars cheaper than by truck. Certainly rail has its advantages over trucking.
TODD:	When did you first start bringing it in by train, right off the bat or later?
DAVID:	Right off the bat, yes. It wasn't until the Roger's Pass opened up did we start bringing things in by truck. Now the reason we got involved in McLeod's By-Products, which is a meat rendering and fat plant, was a lot of the animal feed especially poultry and swine feeds require a lot of meat scraps and fat.So between ourselves and Richie Smith down in the coast we owned 50% of McLeod By-Products. Between two companies we could more than use up the scrap material.