K.B. Kinsman & Son Farm Limited- the Kinsmans
K.B. Kinsman & Son Farm Limited is owned by Keith, Michael and Diane Kinsman.
The Kinsman’s have been producing beef for 40 years. They started out with a few head, growing more each year and are currently housing about 400 head in their feedlot, at 1774 Hwy 358 in Port Williams, NS. They farm approximately 400 acres, growing their own feed to supply the feedlot.
The cattle are fed a ration of grass silage, corn silage and snaplage. Cull potatoes, carrots and cabbage (they call these “opportunity feeds”) are often added to the ration when available. The cattle are fed with a TMR.
Michael Kinsman, who owns K&M Rolloff Container Services Ltd, helps out with the farm, with providing a trucking service for many of the opportunity feeds. Additionally, he trucks the finished cattle to Atlantic Beef Products in PEI.
K.B. Kinsman & Son Farm Limited have only one full time employee – Cody Legge. He was hired on as a summer employee when he was 14, then became full time after graduating high school, and once again after graduating from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro. Cody is a hard worker and is very dedicated to farming. He has become like a part of the family, the Kinsman’s say.
Keith and Diane’s 15 year-old grandson, Kameron Kinsman, helps out when he is out of school, as well as during the summer break. He says “it’s what I love doing – it runs in the family”. Kameron hopes to attend the Dalhousie Agriculture Campus in Truro, after graduating from high school.
Keith Kinsman, who is the heart of the operation, is nearing 75 years young and is still out working every day. Keith enjoys farming as much as anyone and doesn’t plan to stop working for a while yet. Being a welder back in the day, he still enjoys creating useful things for the farm in the repair shop on the farm when he has a chance.
Diane Kinsman, Keith’s wife, can often be found in the house looking after the bookkeeping and such, or making lunch for the men at the farm.
The Kinsman say: “it is a love of what you do and the team work that makes it all come together!”.