Life, business, and relationship advice all built on the foundation of the Bible.
[00:00:07] Welcome back to another episode of The Vision Pod where guests are handpicked to bring value to your everyday life. Enjoy!
[00:00:29] Today's episode I'm interviewing Terry Balisky, Terry is a farmer, business man and family man.
[00:00:36] In this meeting the evangelist explained the way of salvation.
[00:00:44] And that made sense to my dad.
[00:00:47] He accepted the Lord, a number of his brothers and friends.
[00:00:52] That was in November. In Acts talks about being baptized well he wanted to be baptized.
[00:00:59] The ice was frozen but they chopped a hole in the ice.
[00:01:04] And baptized the number of them.
[00:01:07] And he went through the ice but anyhow that was turning point in his life.
[00:01:16] Both of them becoming a believer.
[00:01:19] He was in 1918.
[00:01:23] He lived here with his brothers.
[00:01:27] Singed on until he was 32.
[00:01:31] And then he and his brothers said, you know, we're never going to have a family or anything.
[00:01:37] He came here when he was 18 years old.
[00:01:42] And from North Dakota, his original family immigrated from the Ukraine in 1898.
[00:01:54] And settled in North Dakota but he couldn't find when he became 18.
[00:02:01] There was no farmland that he thought was any good.
[00:02:08] So he heard that there's good land up in Canada.
[00:02:13] So we got a train from Minot North Dakota to Estovant.
[00:02:18] And if you got to Estovant, the Canadian government would give you a free ticket anywhere west in the Paris to look for land.
[00:02:35] So he checked out all the land all the way up to the real end of the neds.
[00:02:43] That's where the end of the real.
[00:02:46] But he had heard that there's really good land in the peace of our country near Grand Prix.
[00:02:55] So he but from Edson to Grand Prix, he was 250 miles he had to walk across Muscag and the forest.
[00:03:05] Yeah, tough going.
[00:03:07] He could have rented a horse.
[00:03:12] But he and his brothers decided they'd walk.
[00:03:17] And it took 10 days to walk the 250 miles.
[00:03:24] They lived on a perichick and sort of gross rabbits.
[00:03:32] They had lard and salt and a banic.
[00:03:39] They'd had like a flower and make sort of a paste and did pretty well.
[00:03:47] When they got here, they found, yeah, there was land available and they looked around and they settled down by the Berlick.
[00:03:57] Where the farm still is.
[00:04:00] Where they're at today.
[00:04:02] So is that land they have now?
[00:04:04] Kind of the original land.
[00:04:05] It's the original farmland that he owned,
[00:04:09] and it created a 1912.
[00:04:12] And so yeah, you farm for how many years were you farming for?
[00:04:16] 42 years.
[00:04:18] Okay, cool.
[00:04:19] We took over my brother Bob.
[00:04:23] He went old's egg college.
[00:04:27] And I went to brain Bible college.
[00:04:33] And I had intended to go to university.
[00:04:38] But when Bible college, one of the courses of the guys had right five things out that you want to do after you finish this winter.
[00:04:54] And he said, we'll go and it was a course on career development.
[00:05:02] And he said, now you write those five things down and pray about them.
[00:05:05] And at the end of the course in March, run from September to the end of March.
[00:05:14] And I did.
[00:05:16] When the top of my list was I was going to go to university and become an egg cultureist.
[00:05:22] And then had other things.
[00:05:27] I enjoyed selling.
[00:05:31] I enjoyed a lot of different things.
[00:05:37] But through that winter,
[00:05:40] without a note the Lord said you should go farming.
[00:05:45] And we had taken on some homestead land out across the smoky river right on the banks of the smoky river.
[00:05:56] And Bob, my brother was farming on the homeplace but he said,
[00:06:03] if you join up with me, we'll work together and I'll take out some homestead land in my dad,
[00:06:11] and I'll sow to the farm.
[00:06:15] And one of the big reasons that when dad sold us the farm,
[00:06:21] he also didn't want the money.
[00:06:24] He said, just pay me on a monthly basis.
[00:06:28] But I'll give you title to the land so that you have equity to more money.
[00:06:35] And that was a big help because we were able to use that equity
[00:06:41] because he had his land paid for any at seven quarters.
[00:06:45] And we were able to develop the land out it.
[00:06:50] We call it good wind or across the smoky river.
[00:06:53] And also by more farmland around there, like I just think the Lord that he provided away.
[00:07:00] And it was exactly what I was supposed to do.
[00:07:06] I never regretted it.
[00:07:08] Sure, there were tough times, very difficult times in farming and in business.
[00:07:16] When we were developing land out it, good wind,
[00:07:20] we also had a need for a lot of machinery because we had that farm, the bear lake farm.
[00:07:28] So we started going down to Southern Alberta where there was a lot of machinery
[00:07:34] and I used the machinery and truck it up and then we started going into Montana, Nebraska, Colorado.
[00:07:46] And haul up machinery and we'd use it and then sell it.
[00:07:51] And that was very profitable.
[00:07:54] We made some good money on that because at the same time as we were opening up land,
[00:08:01] a lot of other guys were developing homestead land and they needed machinery.
[00:08:05] And that's what led us to get into the John Deer business.
[00:08:13] We were buying this machinery and selling it and John Deer owned the storm during a period
[00:08:20] when it was owned by the company themselves.
[00:08:23] Normally they don't retail but this one store, they owned and they wanted to get out of the retail.
[00:08:33] And they had a young guy, Bob Rimer, who is here.
[00:08:40] He just got out of university and he was managing the store for John Deer.
[00:08:44] He really wanted to go corporate with John Deer.
[00:08:49] He didn't want to stay in Grand Prix and he said, hey you guys, this business would be for sale if you guys would buy it.
[00:09:00] We said, well man that would take quite a much do you want for it?
[00:09:06] And he gave us the number, just about $300,000.
[00:09:13] We had not, we didn't have any extra money at all.
[00:09:18] However, as we talked to him he said, well, we'll work out a deal for you and because you know the machine business,
[00:09:31] by him and selling, we sold a lot actually through him right through the John Deer store.
[00:09:40] Well, the year we bought the farming economy really turned, it was tough.
[00:09:49] The grain prices shot up and machinery really went up in price or we had gone to the bank and borrowed money.
[00:10:00] Our first payment was, we took it over the first of May, but we had to make a payment on the end of May of $30,000.
[00:10:14] Which was a lot of money.
[00:10:17] Well that first month we had a profit of exactly $30,000.
[00:10:21] Wow.
[00:10:25] You know, as I think about it today, it was an absolute miracle.
[00:10:31] And after that we were always able to make our payments until the mid-80s when things went, well we didn't pay attention to the business.
[00:10:46] The fertilizer business that we started up in 75 did very well.
[00:10:53] Roth was the manager and it was a very good manager.
[00:11:01] And he sort of gave direction even at Prairie Coast.
[00:11:08] It was called Peace Farm Parer that we changed the name and what made him a good manager.
[00:11:21] Any time you started business honesty, doing what you say you'll do.
[00:11:30] And just being a friend to your customers.
[00:11:36] Customers always aren't the easiest to work with.
[00:11:40] But you become their friends and they will become very loyal.
[00:11:48] If you treat them fairly, honestly, they become very loyal.
[00:11:56] And that's been the case through the years here at Prairie Coast.
[00:12:03] We've always, I don't know how many times we've been John Deer, number one dealer in Canada.
[00:12:13] And you have to, John Deer is they want 50% of all the sales of the farm equipment.
[00:12:24] That's their line.
[00:12:27] And if you don't make that, they're a very rigid company.
[00:12:34] They have very strict rules.
[00:12:38] Sometimes we would always agree with them, but we found that they were usually right.
[00:12:47] Even though we thought we could do things differently.
[00:12:49] Dennis, when he took over he really listened to what John Deer was saying he was going to use young.
[00:12:56] When he took over he was, I think, 27 or something.
[00:13:04] And he just paid attention to what they were saying.
[00:13:11] And one of the things that they told him was that you don't have enough of a market share in the Grand Prairie area.
[00:13:22] You're going to have to expand beyond Grand Prairie.
[00:13:27] So that's when we start buying other dealerships out.
[00:13:33] We bought fair review, the creed, Dawson Creek.
[00:13:37] Then, well, Spirit River was absorbed into it.
[00:13:39] Beaver, Audrey was absorbed into it.
[00:13:42] And then we bought dealerships in, well, all the dealerships in British Columbia.
[00:13:49] And there was a hit of them.
[00:13:52] And all the way down to Nanimal.
[00:13:58] And it was a lot of risk, right?
[00:14:01] There was some blake.
[00:14:04] So, well, what would you say, I kept you going and kept you pushing for more and more stores?
[00:14:12] Partially, John Deer, saying you guys have to expand.
[00:14:18] And I think one of the things that we made a practice of is meeting together as the brothers and pray.
[00:14:32] And when you're praying together, you get along.
[00:14:35] Because, you know, nobody's perfect.
[00:14:40] And so every week, in a Monday morning, we would get together.
[00:14:49] And I'll apply a little study and rough my oldest brother usually would lead that eventually he did.
[00:14:59] And, you know, some of the like, Proverbs 3, 5 and 6, commit your way to the Lord and heal director path.
[00:15:11] You hang onto that.
[00:15:13] You know, in some of the songs, some 30, 4, 37.
[00:15:19] You know, some of the promises that God gave to David.
[00:15:24] Grab a hold of them and say, okay, I'm going to claim it.
[00:15:30] You said it, I'm going to claim it.
[00:15:32] Yeah, that's right.
[00:15:33] And that made the difference in, you know, we always didn't agree.
[00:15:42] We would have a board meeting once week as well, usually after the prayer time.
[00:15:49] And didn't always see I do, I, but we never left the meeting where we didn't have unity.
[00:15:57] We'd say, let's work this out.
[00:15:59] What are we going to do?
[00:16:03] And that's what kept us together.
[00:16:06] And we worked together for, well, I just sold out a few years ago to Todd and we've been in business in 73.
[00:16:21] Wow.
[00:16:22] And, yeah, so that's pretty impressive.
[00:16:27] Lots of, there's lots of like warning around getting a business with family and you hear a lot of ugly stories, but seems like you kind of figured out how you could make it work.
[00:16:39] Well, we, we give all credit to the Lord.
[00:16:43] It was not doing right?
[00:16:44] Yeah, had a good foundation.
[00:16:49] Our parents were, said a good foundation.
[00:16:54] And men, dead was very strict.
[00:17:01] He, he didn't, he wasn't a big talker, but when he said, boys, this is a way it should be.
[00:17:09] He was right.
[00:17:11] We didn't always think he was, but it turned out that way.
[00:17:17] So, it, it said a good foundation and the other thing that our parents did, if you can't get along with your family, who will you get along with?
[00:17:30] And they insisted that we get along even though we would fight like dogs, cats.
[00:17:37] Yeah.
[00:17:38] But, you'd never hold it.
[00:17:42] And that's so true.
[00:17:45] So, well, any of, and then life, we just really went through some tough times.
[00:17:59] Like I said, business is not for the faint of heart.
[00:18:04] Business is tough.
[00:18:06] And if you think you can get into business, oh man, this is going to be easy.
[00:18:11] It isn't.
[00:18:13] It's constantly changing and you have to change and adapt and adapt.
[00:18:20] And in our case, we are thankful that the Lord would guide us.
[00:18:27] And we had a strong faith.
[00:18:30] What were some of the biggest challenges for you being a business owner?
[00:18:37] I think the biggest challenge was trying to get enough money to keep the business going.
[00:18:45] Every, every, when we had a building supply center, we kind of had to have been yours.
[00:18:57] We tried different things.
[00:18:59] We had a trust plan building, build houses.
[00:19:05] And a real estate, business, certain real tree.
[00:19:09] Oh really?
[00:19:11] Cheryl had that, but I'll see.
[00:19:14] So, let's say, we went into Century 21.
[00:19:19] Okay. And, you know, the more you diverse, the more complex we like this.
[00:19:34] I think if I were to do it to get a gain, say focus on the smaller picture.
[00:19:43] Don't look so broad.
[00:19:44] Okay. And that would be, we tried too many things and not all of them.
[00:19:53] Like building houses, we didn't know how to build houses.
[00:19:57] And that was a very costly thing because a lot of them, or what did you make on that?
[00:20:06] Well, it didn't do very well on it.
[00:20:09] You know, so you have to come up with the extra money.
[00:20:18] I think my advice is if you're going to go into business, pick something, stay with it.
[00:20:28] If something else comes along that will add to the business.
[00:20:33] Like the fertilizer really added to our business.
[00:20:37] The building supply, we did not.
[00:20:42] And we should have not gotten into that because we didn't know enough about it.
[00:20:49] Yeah, that's good advice like pick something and then stick with it and then work it out till it.
[00:20:56] What does that mean?
[00:20:58] So it makes sense to you and pick something that you like doing.
[00:21:05] You know, if you don't like what a business that you didn't get out of it,
[00:21:13] don't stay with it.
[00:21:16] Yeah.
[00:21:16] A lot of people are scared to move.
[00:21:20] You know, fear will cripple you.
[00:21:25] And Jesus talks a lot about fear not.
[00:21:29] You know, in Matthew it just says don't fear.
[00:21:33] And that's I think as a Christian we can Satan wants us to be fearful and say, oh, I don't know if I should do that.
[00:21:44] You know, this could happen.
[00:21:50] It'll, it'll just, whether you down to nothing.
[00:21:55] So you be bold and trust the Lord.
[00:21:58] And sometimes things don't turn out.
[00:22:02] It's not like it's just a catwalk.
[00:22:05] Yeah, it's there's difficult times.
[00:22:09] But all I can say is now that I'm in my 80s.
[00:22:15] Man, I look back and say, I can't believe the things I went through, how the Lord took me through them.
[00:22:27] At the time, I thought it was impossible.
[00:22:30] You know, this is just an impossible thing.
[00:22:34] But you keep plugging.
[00:22:35] You don't say, you don't give up.
[00:22:39] You know, you might be flat on your back and the mud flying firm thick.
[00:22:45] You roll over and get up.
[00:22:48] That's your keep going.
[00:22:51] You know, and I think a strong faith is where it's really at.
[00:22:59] If you don't have a strong faith, that God Almighty is there to protect you.
[00:23:05] You know, the Bible has so many promises for us, but don't claim them.
[00:23:15] And that's where we as Christians really go wrong.
[00:23:19] Yeah.
[00:23:20] And I have to admit that I always didn't.
[00:23:27] But when I looked back, yeah, it was a good thing.
[00:23:33] And then I had a wonderful wife.
[00:23:36] You know, never did she say, oh man, you really made a big mistake.
[00:23:41] She was always supportive.
[00:23:44] She'd give advice, say, well, we should do this and do that.
[00:23:50] But when we were up against the wall, she didn't throw up her hands and say, no, no, what are we going to do?
[00:24:01] You can say, well, let's work this out and we'll make it.
[00:24:05] Work.
[00:24:06] And I have to say it's Judah.
[00:24:13] I don't know if you have a girlfriend or not.
[00:24:17] But pray that the Lord will give you a wife that will be supportive, loving and is a believer.
[00:24:27] Because if you have those things in your life, you, there's no end of what you can do.
[00:24:35] But if you choose the wrong one, and the Lord cares far more,
[00:24:42] about who you choose than even you, you think, oh, I have to really pray about it.
[00:24:49] And he laid you to the right person.
[00:24:54] Marce was in my, well, when we first met, it wasn't an easy time because she,
[00:25:04] she was from a totally different background than I came from.
[00:25:10] And she was at university and here, we were on the farm.
[00:25:18] And she knew nothing about the farm.
[00:25:22] But a number when we first met, I felt this is kind of lady that I'd like to marry something.
[00:25:32] Took her a while to, like the same way, reciprocate.
[00:25:37] And eventually after four years, and we didn't see each other.
[00:25:43] But anyhow, all I say to you Judah is pray about your partner.
[00:25:51] And have them prepared to, by the Lord for you.
[00:26:00] So yeah, so that's kind of my story.
[00:26:06] I don't know what else, so I can tell you that.
[00:26:10] Yeah, no problem. That's that was awesome. That's a perfect for today.
[00:26:14] I have one fun question to end it off.
[00:26:17] What would you do if you were king of North America?
[00:26:20] I'm thinking there's a lot of things.
[00:26:23] But I want to be, I think, one of the things is justice.
[00:26:29] Be fair.
[00:26:32] Not everybody's the same.
[00:26:34] Treat people who they are not as what you want them to be,
[00:26:40] because everybody, God has made us all unique.
[00:26:45] And try to be wise and searching out what is the best road to go under God's leadership.
[00:27:00] You can't do it under one.
[00:27:03] This world is inside tract by Satan.
[00:27:10] And he still there messing us up.
[00:27:15] We're not perfect, Judah.
[00:27:18] And he'll mess up.
[00:27:22] But the thing is, confess when you have failed,
[00:27:28] recognize your failure and confess it and go on.
[00:27:32] Don't hang onto it, let it go.
[00:27:35] Yeah.
[00:27:36] But if I were king, I'd say be just and fear to all people.
[00:27:43] Yeah.
[00:27:46] And that's about all.
[00:27:48] Thanks for coming on my podcast, Harry.
[00:27:50] Appreciate it.
[00:27:52] And it makes any sense to you.
[00:27:55] One of the things I didn't mention is, and I should have.
[00:28:01] It's very important to get involved in different activities in church or Bible school.
[00:28:13] And if you're blessed, I never stopped hiding.
[00:28:21] Because the Lord will bless you if you type.
[00:28:24] When I look back at the times that we've gone through and sometimes we've made commitments
[00:28:31] that are going to be tough but the Lord provided.
[00:28:36] So I think choose different places that you can be used.
[00:28:40] You don't have to be in a lot of different activities.
[00:28:46] But your home church and then if you can something outside your home church, get yourself.
[00:28:56] That's great.
[00:28:57] And serve the Lord.
[00:28:59] Don't have it all focused on yourself.
[00:29:05] Because it becomes a selfish mode of end.
[00:29:09] It's a crotch too, like a self obsession.
[00:29:12] Just pride.
[00:29:14] Pride starts coming in and God hates pride.
[00:29:20] And I think that's why if you're ever in business he combos you.
[00:29:26] You told me, wake with your death times.
[00:29:30] Because you can't give very proud when you're up a knee instead.
[00:29:35] You lean on the Lord.
[00:29:37] So, it is.
[00:29:39] That's it.
[00:29:40] Awesome.
[00:29:43] Do you know I just...