Once a farmer, always a farmer. 

That statement rings true for Arthur Cedergren who now lives in Moose Jaw but spent years growing up and running their family farm near the community of Keeler, Saskatchewan. Their farmhouse was built in 1905 by Cedergren's father. 

He's turning 99 years old next month on Halloween and just participated in his 83rd Harvest according to his daughter. Cedergren still remembers his first harvest back in 1934, and just one short year later in 1935 he took over their family farm and became the head of the operation. 

For the last handful of years, Cedergren has been overjoyed to hop back in the machinery with the rest of the guys during harvest but noted things look a lot different than they used to from the inside of a combine or any other equipment. 

"It has changed tremendously, I couldn't believe it... I've been riding out on the combine a little bit the last two years," explained Cerdgren. " I started out with my first combine with, it was a six foot and we were cutting two feet."

He also said that he was surprised by the sound and dust-proof cabs that producers see nowadays and back when he was running things it was much more labour intensive.

"I think the farmers today are doing a very good job. Their overhead expenses are completely foreign to me... the way it's being farmed is far more productive today than it was, say in the 30s and 40s."

Not only has technology advanced greatly over the years for Cedergren to witness, but he also said even the soil and the food farmers grow is getting better each year. 

"The last two years the crops have been absolutely perfect, far better than I ever saw. You're using different technology now and a lot more fertilizer; we didn't use fertilizer because we couldn't afford it. The crops are unbelievable comparing it to the area when I was farming."

Cedergren noted that when he was the head of the household on their family farm it was a mixed farm, but he added that they also had animals over the years as well, such as cattle and horses.