2012 bmo farm family awards
DESCRIPTION
Every year, the Calgary Stampede and BMO Bank of Montreal recognize outstanding farm families in southern Alberta. The awards program was created to promote a renewed urban-rural relationship and to recognize outstanding southern Alberta farm families who best typify the value of the family farmer to our society. The program, specifically, focuses on recognizing the contribution to the enhancement of quality of life as a family unit. Each year, the municipal districts in southern Alberta nominate one family. The families are brought to the Stampede for the BMO Farm Family Awards, which include a reception, greeting from Alberta's Minister of Agriculture, brunch, awards presentation, and family photograph session.TRANSCRIPT
On behalf of the Calgary Stampede, welcome to the 2012 BMO Farm Family Awards.
This is an extra special year, as we are in the midst of celebrating our Centennial
Calgary Stampede!
We’ve been doing a lot of reflecting this year - thinking about Stampede history and
the time of our founding.
One thing that has been unwavering over the past 100 years is our commitment to
agriculture. At the Calgary Stampede, agriculture is at the heart of what we do and we
are honoured to celebrate the families taking part in the Farm Family Awards.
We see the next 100 years as an opportunity to further demonstrate our commitment
to preserving Western heritage and values and we will depend on the passionate
Albertans involved in agriculture to help us achieve our dreams.
Congratulations to the families being recognized today and thank you for your
personal and family commitment to agriculture.
I hope that you have a fantastic time at the 2012 Centennial Stampede!
We truly are greatest together.
Mike Casey
President and Chairman of the Board
Calgary Stampede
CHAIRMAN’S GREETING
1
In this the Calgary Stampede’s Centennial year, BMO Financial Group is proud
to be the official bank of the Calgary Stampede for the past 100 years. That’s why
we’re corralling the farming community once again to celebrate with us at the 2012
BMO Farm Family Awards.
It’s a big year with big spirit and big accolades to share with the best farm families
in southern Alberta. More western style celebrations and birthday cake are in store for
us for sure.
We’re proud of the farm families who make a vital contribution to the province’s
economic growth and to the health and wellness of citizens in Alberta and throughout
Canada. Those we honour with these awards represent the pioneering spirit of hard
work, innovation and collaboration.
We are privileged to be the Centennial Partner with the Calgary Stampede and the
Agricultural Events Committee to recognize these outstanding farm families.
Congratulations and we would be delighted to have some good conversations with all
the 2012 BMO Farm Family Award winners – to assist them in making their operations
prosper and grow for the next 100 years!
W.R. (Bill) Hogg,
Vice President, Alberta/Northwest Territories Commercial District
BMO Bank of Montreal
GREETINGS FROM BMO
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2012 BMO FARM FAMILY AWARD WINNERS
TOWERFAMILY
MOWATFAMILY
ROWLAND FAMILY
LEEDSFAMILY
SCHMITTFAMILY
IRWINFAMILY
WEBSTERFAMILY
DEITZFAMILY
KROOSHOOPFAMILY
BAUERFAMILY
MADGEFAMILY
WIDEMANFAMILY
ROWNEYFAMILY
BRICKER FAMILY
HOGGFAMILY
REDELFAMILY
MASONFAMILY
CHILIAKFAMILY
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MCCANNFAMILY
JENSENFAMILY
CONGRATULATIONS2012 BMO Farm Families
Bauer Family, Hilda Page 5
Bricker Family, Didsbury Page 6
Chiliak Family, Oyen Page 7
Deitz Family, Milo Page 8
Hogg Family, Huxley Page 9
Irwin Family, Patricia Page 10
Jensen Family, Barnwell Page 11
Krooshoop Family, Bow Island Page 12
Leeds Family, Claresholm Page 13
Madge Family, Hanna Page 14
Mason Family, Delia Page 15
McCann Family, Coaldale Page 16
Mowat Family, Cowley Page 17
Redel Family, Consort Page 18
Rowland Family, High River Page 19
Rowney Family, Madden Page 20
Schmitt Family, Milk River Page 21
Tower Family, Gleichen Page 22
Webster Family, Mountain View Page 23
Wideman Family, Nanton Page 24
4
Representing Cypress County
BAUER FAMILYHilda, Alberta
Although the entire history of agriculture in Southern Alberta
is more than a century old, there have been a lot of changes in
that relatively short time. For example, when Norman Bauer’s
great-grandfather and his family homesteaded near Hilda in
1911, the plough was the implement that marked their progress.
“You weren’t a good farmer unless your land was good and
black,” Norman says.
By 1964, when Norman and his wife Jean began farming the
same land, they grew wheat, barley and hay, and half the land
was summer-fallowed — but wind and water erosion was still a
problem. The next generation, their son Gregory and his wife
Cathy, brought some new
ideas with them when they
joined the farm. Together,
their progressive attitude and
community focus have earned
them the 2012 BMO Farm
Family Award representing
Cypress County.
Over the years, the Bauer
farm’s operations have
changed — to the point where
today, a wide variety of crops
are grown on several thousand zero-till acres. “I was skeptical of
all this stuff,” Norman admits. “(Gregory) wanted to try this stuff
and I played along. He’s pretty well proved it. No-till farming
has been quite successful. Our soil has a mulch of plant residue
on the surface. The plants can make much better use of the rain
that falls, and not as much is lost to evaporation.”
There is satisfaction for the Bauer family in actually seeing their
land improve, but, Norman cautions, “It will take quite a while to
make it as good as it was when our forefathers broke it up.”
The Bauer farm is only part of the family’s operation. The
other part is the Bauer ranch, which has also seen some big
changes over the years. “When my wife and I came here in 1964,
my dad’s herd was Hereford,” Norman recalls. The big change
Norman brought in was switching to Charolais cattle, a program
they kept going for 20 years. “We sold all the cows in ‘84 and
went to a yearling program,” he continues. “In 1997 we started
out again in the cow business with the black cows, Angus cows.”
The herd has grown to 900 cows, and Norman admits freely
he can’t say what is next. “It’s evolving all the time. What the
next 20 years will bring, I don’t know.”
Over the years, the Bauers
have been quite involved
with their community.
Norman still serves on the
church board and, in the
past, served on boards
for the Hilda Community
Association, Forty Mile Gas
Co-op and the Alberta Cattle
Commission. Jean volunteers
on the Medicine Hat and
District Health Foundation
Board. Gregory is a volunteer fireman and belongs to a farm
management group, and Cathy is active with the Schuler School
Council. Gregory and Cathy’s son Luke is a student at Schuler
School.
“I think if you enjoy what you do, the chances of success are
greatly increased,” Norman muses. “I honestly never get tired of
going out to check on the cattle along the riverbank. Not many
people have that nice a place to go to work.”
5
Representing Mountain View County
BRICKER FAMILYDidsbury, Alberta
Didsbury as a fair way from Chestermere, but a short distance
southwest of Didsbury is where you’ll find Chestermere
Herefords, the Bricker family’s purebred cattle operation. The
reason the farm name doesn’t match its location is because the
herd originated on the original Bricker farm just east of Calgary.
In 1976, Dave Bricker and his family and business relocated to
the land originally settled by the family of his wife, the former
Phyllis Hughes, in 1904.
“The raising of superior animals is a continuous goal,” Dave
says. “It’s an interesting business, and it’s fairly complex.”
Bricker will receive a
50-year pin from the
Canadian Hereford
Association this year — a
testament to his steadfast
faith in the breed, even
during the decades when
the British breeds seemed
to be going out of favour.
“When exotic cattle came
in, they were the rage,” he
recalls. “They did make us
raise up our herds in value
and type. In the long run,
it’s paid off, but it was a rough trip to begin with.”
“We calve out about 60 cows a year,” Dave explains. “We keep
replacement heifers and a group of a dozen or so bulls to market
to the purebred industry.” Dave and Phyllis are not as active as
they once were, as their sons Gordon and Ross conduct most
of the farm’s operations. Ross is mainly involved with herd
management, as he also works at an executive job in Calgary.
Gordon, the eldest, does most of the day-to-day work.
The farm also grows barley, oats, canola and hay on over
half of its 960 acres. “We’re doing continuous crop, but not
direct seeding,” Dave says. “We still use a drill. We’re quite a
ways west and the soil is somewhat deep. It’s very coarse. We
have a different season here than they do to the east. It’s much
cooler, and we have moisture in the morning that they don’t
encounter.”
Both Dave and Phyllis are active members of their church, but
have reduced their community involvement in recent years. In
the past, Dave was involved with Unifarm, as well as the local
hall board, and was safety co-ordinator for the county. Phyllis
was involved in many
women’s organizations,
as were her mother and
grandmother.
Today, the family’s
tradition of community
involvement is carried
on by Ross and his
wife, Rose. The local
school parent advisory
committee and the
Didsbury skate club are
two organizations they
have worked on, and they, with their children Alexa and Kyle,
are also involved in 4-H.
With a fifth generation of the same family growing up on
the same land, creating and sustaining a successful farming
operation and community involvement, it’s easy to see why the
Bricker family has received the 2012 BMO Farm Family Award
for Mountain View County.
6
Representing Special Area No. 3
CHILIAK FAMILYOyen, Alberta
The Chiliak family calls its operation Red Wing Farms Ltd. for
the many red-winged blackbirds that share their habitat. “We’re
avid birdwatchers,” says Ramona Chiliak. “We’ve acquired
a nice little library of bird books.” Additionally, she says, the
family looked after a five mile stretch of birdboxes that provided
shelter for bluebirds and swallows.
In a nutshell, that’s one of the big advantages Alan and
Ramona Chiliak find in life on the farm. The chance to home-
school their children and spend time as a family — even during
the workday — are opportunities they know they wouldn’t find
in an urban setting. In
celebration of these family
values, as well as their
successful farm, the Chiliaks
have been chosen as the 2012
BMO Farm Family for Special
Area No. 3.
Alan’s grandfather moved
to the Alsask, Sask., area in
1930. In 1950, his son Bill
made a short move west
that took the family over the
provincial boundary, and began to build a cattle herd. Alan, the
youngest son, began farming on his own in 1992 and assumed
responsibility for the whole family operation in 1998.
Over the years, the family has grown a wide variety of crops
on the farm portion of their land, which totals about 3,500
acres. This year they’re growing yellow mustard, canola, wheat,
and barley. “I try to never have the same crop in the same field
two years in a row,” Alan says. “In the coming years I’m hoping
to reintroduce pulses into the rotation.”
Over the years, the farm has kept up with the changes in
agriculture. Chem-fallow was introduced in the 1980s, and
minimum-till in the early ’90s. The Chiliak operation was a
directly-seeded, continuously-cropped no-till operation by the
end of that decade. After noticing yields were up to three times
better off a chem-fallowed field than a continuously-cropped
one, Alan now chem-fallows half the land each year.
The bloodlines of the cattle on the farm’s 2,000 acres of
pasture have evolved over the years. For about 20 years the herd
was mostly Simmental with a Red Angus or Gelbvieh cross, but
Black Angus has come into the
mix since 2007. At present,
there are 52 cows on the place
with some heifers and four
steers. Alan says his father Bill
is more of a cattleman than
he is.
Over the years each
generation of the family
has contributed to the
community. Alan and
Ramona are members of the
Sibbald Community Club, on the executive of the Big Country
Agricultural Society, and members of the Oyen and District
Historical Society, and have been active in the church and
4-H. Their children, Allison, Tyler and Steven are active with
school, church and the BCAS. “That’s the way we were raised,”
Alan says. “We’re not just here to make money. We’re here to
contribute, and we do that in the best way we can.”
Adds Alan: “Farming has been in our family as long as I
can remember. I’m hoping that one of my kids takes over. I’m
trying to set the farm up in a way that it’s ready for the next
generation.”
7
Representing Vulcan County
DEITZ FAMILYMilo, Alberta
There was a time when just about every Prairie town had a
grain elevator. As the big grain companies consolidated their
storage into larger and larger terminals, the elevators began to
disappear. Today, there aren’t many left to be found.
There’s one in Milo, however, thanks to the 2012 BMO Farm
Family representing Vulcan County — the Deitz family. As Lloyd
Deitz, the family member most involved with the elevator, tells
the story, the structure might have been demolished if the train
tracks leading to it had been left. But when the tracks were torn
out, the company that had operated the elevator decided it
wouldn’t represent any competition, and put it up for sale. The
Deitz family needed the
storage, and the town
wanted the elevator to
stay, so things worked
out.
The changing times,
Lloyd continues,
are producing
opportunities that are
making the elevator an
even better business
proposition than the
family had originally hoped. The sheer scale of the giant grain
terminals has taken away their ability to blend different grades
of grain. The Milo elevator doesn’t have that problem because it
has smaller bins. “If an end-user wants a certain grade, we can
make exactly what they want,” Lloyd says.
It wasn’t as though the Deitz family didn’t have plenty to do
already. The farm was founded in 1919 by Jack Deitz when he
returned from the First World War and purchased land eight
kilometres east of Milo. The family is still on the same land,
and William, Jack’s youngest son, still lives there with his son,
Wes. Between the two of them, they tend to the outfit’s herd of
110 Limousin-cross cows on 2,000 acres of pasture, selling the
calves in the fall. There are also 6,000 acres devoted to growing
a rotation of canola, wheat, durum, barley, and peas.
William’s sister, Maxine, lives in another house on the home
place and has an important role in the farm’s operations, while
his other two sons, Lloyd and Gerald, live in Milo. Gerald is
married to Ginger and has two children, Nicole and Jaxson, who
are beginning to be a big help on the farm. William’s daughter,
Lynn, is married to Terry Burgess and lives about 32 kilometres
west of town. They have
three children — Corey,
Kari and Jody, who is
married to Andrew
Looy. “Everybody’s part
of the operation,” Lloyd
notes. “Everybody has a
part, and they do their
part.” The family still
treasures the memory of
their mother, Lois, who
passed away in 2006.
Most of the town of Milo owes its existence to the
community’s volunteer spirit, Lloyd says, citing the community
hall, library, skating rink and curling rink as examples.
Regardless of whether it’s the Recreation Board, the Agricultural
Society, the water co-op, the seed cleaning plant, the library, fall
fair, or curling club, he says, “everybody in our family has had a
stint or two or three on all of them. We like to get involved with
the whole community.”
8
Representing Kneehill County
HOGG FAMILYHuxley, Alberta
When Francis Hogg, a Scottish veteran of the Boer War, and
his wife Euphemia homesteaded, there wasn’t any such place
as Alberta. It was 1904, and they were settling in what was then
called the North West Territories. The land they chose, a few
kilometres west and north of Huxley, is still the home farm for
their descendants.
There’s quite a bit more land on the Hogg family farm now
than there was in 1904. Economies of scale are important in
modern agriculture, and Bruce and Leona Hogg, with their
sons Drann, Norris and Devin, now farm 4,000 acres and have
another 1,500 acres for pasture.
In the 1980s, the farm moved
away from summer-fallow to
direct seeding.
The introduction of GPS
and automatic shut-offs on the
sprayers has further improved
the productivity and health
of the land. Currently, the
crop rotation includes canola,
wheat, barley, peas, and flax.
“We do chem-fallow once in a
while. It depends on the field
and what we’re planning on doing with it,” Bruce explains. “It’s
usually continuous crop.”
The cattle side of the Hogg family operation has changed over
the years. Once a purebred Angus herd, the change was made
to commercial cattle some years ago. The farm has 220 head of
Black Angus/Simmental cross cows. Calves are backgrounded
and sold, some in November and some in April and May. “We
keep 25 or 30 replacement heifers every year,” Bruce says.
In 2004, the Hoggs began to grow corn to try and reduce the
cost of feeding the cattle. Some silage is kept to feed calves,
but the stalks are left standing to serve as feed in the winter.
There are significant costs to growing, harvesting, and storing
feed, taking it to the cattle, and then taking their manure back
to the fields, Bruce says. Leaving the cattle out makes for a
considerable saving, especially in labour.
“This country was built on everybody helping everybody else,”
Bruce notes. Apart from the informal help one neighbour gives
another, Bruce was a 4-H leader for five years, was on the Elnora
Agricultural Society and the
UFA advisory, and is a member
of the Elks Club. Leona has
been active in the Friends of
Education at Huxley, as well as
the PTA, taught Sunday school,
and worked on the Huxley
History Book Committee.
According to Leona,
members of the Hogg family
have always worked off the
farm at one pursuit or another.
Eldest son Drann, for example,
travels the province with his grain cleaning business, but the
family has done that before. In the barn, Bruce says, is a grain
cleaner built by his father and uncles back in 1953.
The family’s 108-year history is important to Bruce, but he
remarks: “I was raised to think it’s not for me. It’s for the next
generation and my grandchildren.” This attitude is a large part
of the reason the Hogg family is the 2012 BMO Farm Family for
Kneehill County.
9
Representing County of Newell
IRWIN FAMILYPatricia, Alberta
The community of Patricia is a very close-knit one, says Todd
Irwin. Quite often, he notes, newcomers enjoy the community’s
spirit and friendly atmosphere so much that they settle down
and never leave. Perhaps that’s what happened to Bob Irwin
when he arrived in the area in 1910. The family still has a
strong presence — strong enough
for the Irwins to earn the 2012 BMO
Farm Family Award for the County of
Newell.
In 1950, Bob and his son Albert
purchased the Circle Ranch from the
Pat Burns family. Today, Albert’s sons
Todd and John, with their families,
continue the ranching tradition. Todd
is assisted at busy times by his sons,
Rob and Bill. John and his wife Kathy,
their daughter Krista and her fiance
Rick are also on the land full-time.
Krista’s brother Mark works off the
farm, but returns when he is needed.
The family matriarch, Julia, is still
actively involved, as well.
Extending over 9,000 acres of
deeded land and a couple of thousand more leased acres, the
Irwin Ranches are mainly native grass pasture with about 500
acres irrigated for hay. The biggest component of the Irwin
outfit is 600 cow/calf pairs. The steer calves are sold off in the
fall, while the heifer calves are kept. The best Hereford heifer
calves are kept for replacements, while the best Hereford/Red
Angus cross heifers are sold annually as bred heifers.
“Our customers can’t believe how tame those heifers of ours
are,” Todd says. “Around here, if it even looks at you sideways,
it’s gone.” The preference for well-behaved animals is why the
ranch uses Red Angus bulls. “Grandpa bought a pair of Black
Angus bulls in the late ’60s,” Todd recalls. “I had to look after
them. They’d try and kill you. They’d try to kill your horse.
They’d go through fences. They’d be six miles away and you’d
have to fix all the fences behind them
all summer. I just hated them. I guess,”
he adds with a chuckle, “I still hold a
grudge.”
Todd attends between 20 and 30
bull sales every year. “I like buying
bulls,” he says. “It’s my favourite
thing.” His passion is in the family’s
tradition, he points out, since the
family has either bought or sold
animals at the Calgary Bull Sale in
March for 70 consecutive years.
Over the years, the Irwin family has
made many contributions to causes
such as the Brooks hospital, county
hockey and curling rinks, community
halls, local schools, and churches. John
and Todd are on the board of directors
and the Bull Inspection Committee of the Patricia Community
Pasture, and a number of other organizations.
There is now a fourth generation of the family on the Irwin
land, with the involvement of John and Kathy’s daughter,
Krista. Todd, who worked for a time in the oilpatch before
returning to the ranch, is unsure if his sons will do the same.
“It’s been in the family a long time, so you don’t want to lose it,”
he says. “I told them, ‘Don’t ever sell it!’ and they agree. If they
ever want to come back, they know how to do it.”
10
Representing the Municipal District of Taber
JENSEN FAMILYBarnwell, Alberta
The image that defines the settlement of Southern Alberta is
almost certainly that of the cowboy. Although Nels Jensen had
been a miner back in Utah, he went to work as a cowboy when
he came north in 1903 to work for Ray Knight, one of the early
movers and shakers in the area. And in 1904, Jensen filed on a
homestead just north of Barnwell.
Nels was Doug Jensen’s
grandfather — and to
this day, the Dry Coulee
Jensen Ranch is a cattle
operation. “There’s been
grain and sugar beets over
the years, but (raising)
cows has always been
the number one thing,”
Doug says. The cattle still
graze on native pasture
grasses, and over the years
the family has always
carefully monitored those
pastures to guard against overgrazing. On the irrigated portions
of the land, the Jensens grow hay to feed their cattle and horses.
Until recently the Jensen herd was bigger, focusing on the
Gelbvieh breed. “We sold out of the purebred business two years
ago,” Doug says. “It’s pretty much my wife Anita and I, and we
decided to have a break. I’ve been gradually buying a few to run
on the pasture.” The herd this year is about 20 cow/calf pairs
and a few yearlings.
The Jensen ranch hasn’t moved to pivot irrigation, and still
uses wheels. As a result, “you’re here a lot more,” Doug notes.
“When it’s irrigation season, you have to be here to watch that
everything’s going. It means you have to get up at 5 a.m. to move
pipe, and you have to do it again at 5 p.m. It keeps you busy.”
Some members of the fourth generation of Jensens raised on
the ranch still live there with Doug and Anita. Although sons
Clayton and Cody have full-time jobs in Taber, they live at home
and are a big help on the ranch. The two oldest boys, Tyrell and
Niels, are married and live in the area. “All the kids keep a horse
here and everybody’s helping me as much as they possibly can,”
Doug points out.
It isn’t just the younger
generation helping out,
either. Doug’s father
Gordon, 87, still helps
with the chores, and
this dedicated family
involvement goes a long
way toward explaining
why the Jensen ranch
is the 2012 BMO Farm
Family Award winner for
the MD of Taber.
The increase in value of irrigated land has cost the Jensen
family many of its former neighbours — people who knew Doug
as a Scoutmaster, and both Doug and Anita as 4-H leaders. “I
get approached by potato guys all the time that want to come
and rip up my place and put it in potatoes and put a pivot on
it,” notes Doug. “We don’t want to rent out, so we stick with the
wheels and keep raising hay and struggling ahead. I like my
cows too much.
“The pasture to the north, here, where we run the cows — to
be out there, in nature, riding the same country my father rode
and my grandfather rode, it means a lot.”
11
Representing County of Forty Mile No. 8
KROOSHOOP FAMILYBow Island, Alberta
In 1910, Joseph Roth established his homestead near Bow
Island. More than a hundred years later, his descendants are
still farming the same land. Although the name of the family
farming the land today is different, the story that goes with the
new name would almost certainly be familiar to the man who
established the farm.
“I came here when I was 18,” says Theo Krooshoop, who was
raised on a dairy farm in Holland. “I wanted to farm. Back
home there’s no opportunity for it anymore. There’s too many
people and not enough land.” After starting out on a dairy farm
in B.C., Theo worked in
construction, as a mechanic,
and even on a sunflower
farm before coming to the
Bow Island area where he
worked for several local
farmers.
Theo also met Regina
Roth, and in 1984 they
were married. In 1988, the
couple started farming
for themselves on rented
land. Some of the land they
work today was purchased from Regina’s father, Peter Roth,
and uncle George Roth. It took a lot of custom combining and
beet hauling, in addition to what the farm produced, to get the
family to where they are today — and this year, the Krooshoops
are the 2012 BMO Farm Family Award recipients representing
County of Forty Mile No. 8.
The techniques for dryland farming have changed in the
years since Theo first began working the land on his own. “I
went away from the summer fallow,” he says. Chemical fallow
is now the method he uses to keep weeds under control and he
uses an air drill to seed. In addition, Theo says, “seeding peas on
the stubble to put nitrogen back into the soil seems to work well
around here. Seeding half-and-half, you’re kind of guaranteed
to get somewhat of a crop every year. You try and get the best out
of it and do what’s best for you and for the land.”
Theo and Regina have two children, Jen and Cody, whose
activities have kept the Krooshoops busy in the Bow Island
community. Church activities and Town of Bow Island functions
have also seen the family
volunteer their time. “It’s a
very friendly community.
Supportive, too,” says Theo
of his home for the past 33
years. “Over the years people
have helped me a lot and I’ve
helped a lot of people.”
“I don’t know if they want
to farm,” Theo says of his
children. “They help me a
lot. I always say, ‘You’ll farm.
You just don’t know it yet.’ ”
Theo is well aware of how special it is to be the father of the
fourth generation of the farm’s founding family. “It’s a good
feeling that it’s still in the family. We were seeding on that piece
of land and the old house is still standing. I said to my son, ‘Can
you imagine your great-grandfather standing on the porch and
seeing you seeding? The man would be proud of you.’ ”
12
Representing Municipal District of Willow Creek
LEEDS FAMILYClaresholm, Alberta
The Leeds family has farmed and raised cattle just a few
kilometres northwest of Claresholm since 1887. Today, the
two Leeds brothers, Charles and Doug, continue the family’s
presence on the land. In fact, Charles Leeds lives with his wife
Patricia in a house built way back in 1907, on the east side of
Willow Creek.
The creek itself has played a big role in the history of the
Leeds family’s farming efforts. In 1891, their land was the site
of the first irrigation project on Willow Creek. At the time, flood
irrigation was used, but there were difficulties because of the
erratic nature of the creek. “When they needed the water it
wasn’t there, and when
they didn’t, it was too wet,”
Doug explains. “Sometimes
you can cross it in your
Oxford shoes and not get
your feet very wet, but
when it floods, it really lets
loose. In ’95 and ’05, it was
a quarter-mile across and
16 feet deep.”
Since the late ’70s,
Willow Creek has provided
irrigation again — but this time the water is pumped, not
brought down in ditches. Most of what is grown on the brothers’
irrigated fields goes to feed their cattle, Charles says, although
Doug is putting in a second pivot and plans to seed canola.
Where the land is not irrigated, the main crop is oats, direct-
seeded onto stubble. Neither brother’s farm has as much
cropland as it once did.
“We’ve seeded a lot of it back to grass,” says Doug. “We’re right
on the edge of farming what shouldn’t be farmed. We’re on the
edge of the foothills. West of the creek, it’s very rocky.” Charles
notes that the riparian areas near the creek are treated gently to
preserve the trees and cover.
The two brothers run herds of 140 to 150 cows, mainly a
Hereford/Angus cross, selling the calves in the fall. All three
of Charles and Patricia’s boys work off the farm, but two of
them, Shayne and Cameron, have cattle of their own and are
back regularly. The other son, Monty, assists as time permits.
Doug and Irene have twin sons, Anthony and Christopher, in
Saskatchewan. Their son Mark and daughter Paula help out in
the busy times.
Both Charles and Doug
have a strong sense of
history. Doug is on the
Museum Board Committee
with the MD of Willow
Creek, as well as the Pine
Coulee Advisory Board,
and worked on the district
history book. Charles
and Patricia are both
on the executive of the
Willow Creek Historical
Association. Charles is also a member of the Heritage Acres
Pioneer Museum of Pincher Creek. This strong sense of the past,
paired with community involvement, led to the Leeds family
being named the BMO Farm Family representing the MD of
Willow Creek for 2012.
“If it was a farm I’d bought and lived on for a few years, I
wouldn’t care if I sold it,” Charles says. “A heritage farm? You
feel like you have to pass it on.”
13
Representing Special Area No. 2
MADGE FAMILYHanna, Alberta
The Madge family farming operation near Hanna — winner
of the 2012 BMO Farm Family Award for Special Area No. 2 — has
been around for as long as Alberta has
been a province. Alberta has grown a lot
since 1905, and so has Madge Farms Ltd.
In 1905, Fred Madge settled south
of Richdale and started running some
cattle. His son George started farming
a little to the east, near Stanmore, in
1950. In 1964, Phil Madge, George’s son,
bought a place just down the road. And
in 1992, his son James Madge started
farming full-time. The family now has a
grain growing and cattle operation that
is spread over 17,000 acres based on the
home farm 32 kilometres miles east of
Hanna.
On the cattle side, the farm will breed
700 head this year. The Black Angus-
cross cows calved out in May and June
on grass. The calves will be weaned in
December and then backgrounded until
they are sold in March and April.
What makes the Madge operation different is its grain
acreage. “We have terrible solonetzic soil and we have a real bad
layer of hardpan,” James says. In the late 1970s, James’s father
Phil began a program of deep tilling. “It shatters your hardpan
and brings better soil up from underneath, and it lets roots and
moisture go down,” he explains. “We’ve grown some huge crops
in this country – which never used to happen east of Hanna.”
The Madge land was turned over to a depth of 24 to 32 inches,
but deep tilling isn’t something to be embarked upon casually,
James points out. “It’s very slow and very expensive. I’m glad we
did as much as we did in the past. At a dollar a litre for fuel now,
it’s quite rich to do, but we don’t have
to do as much because we’ve done so
much already,” he says. “It’s a once-
in-a-lifetime thing. We get it worked
down and then it goes right back into
the no-till rotation.”
Direct seeding is also practised,
but James says the land is too dry for
continuous cropping. About half of
the farm’s 7,500 acres of cropland are
put in chem-fallow each year, with the
other half growing a rotation of wheat,
barley, oats, and hay.
The entire Madge family is active in
their church and 4-H, and James has
served on the board of the Chinook
Applied Research Association, the
Agricore United committee, and the
Youngstown Recreation board. Both
James and his wife Carrie have coached
various sports teams.
As the fourth generation of his family to farm in the area,
James can both look back at its rich history, and also look
forward and see the fifth generation, represented by his
children — Sydney, Lane, Tanner and Carson. “They don’t much
care for running tractors, but they sure have a passion for the
cattle,” he observes. “I always say I’ve never worked a day in my
life, because if you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it’s not work.
I hope my children have the same passion for it and want to do
it as well.”
14
Representing Starland County
MASON FAMILYDelia, Alberta
Farming for a living has its share of fringe benefits, says Barry
Mason, who cash crops nearly 6,000 acres just north of Delia. “I
have a pretty well-rounded job. I’ve got lots of variety,” he says.
There’s one benefit that stands out from all the others, though.
“It’s something I can do with my family,” he notes. “Most
occupations are separate from the family — not farming.”
The first Mason to farm in Alberta was Barry’s great-
grandfather, who started in the Handhills region in 1903 and
moved to the flatlands five years later. Barry is the fourth
generation on the same land, and his children, Kari, Laura and
Jared, are the fifth. Together,
the Masons have earned
the 2012 BMO Farm Family
Award for Starland County.
The farm was once a
mixed grain and cattle
business, but the cattle are
long gone. “Dad got out in
1980,” Barry says. “He felt
that he couldn’t do a good
job of both.” This year, Barry
will sow winter wheat, hard
red spring wheat, canola,
malt barley, and field peas. The latter are hard to harvest, Barry
admits, but the crop’s virtues outweigh its deficiencies. “They
fix nitrogen in the soil. They’re good phosphorus miners. They
condition the soil and they’re a good disease break. Normally,
after growing peas, I’ll put in a wheat crop and it’ll be virtually
disease-free.”
The biggest change he’s seen since taking over in 1985, he
says, is the switch to bigger, but fewer, farms. “So many got into
it because farming was supposed to be a simple life,” he reflects.
“Now, it’s pretty complex and costly. The need for change and
knowledge in this industry has grown so much, it’s caught a lot
of people off-balance and they’ve thrown in the towel.”
Growing up on the farm is much different now, he notes. “I
remember helping my grandfather and my dad dynamite rocks
out of the ground,” he recalls. Barry’s wife, Dawn, says that Jared
was disappointed to learn that blowing things up is not part
of most modern farmers’ repertoire. On the other hand, Barry
says, Jared has been able to operate the combine since he was 11.
“He understands computers and he taught his grandfathers and
our young hired fellow how
to run the combine. It made
me grin.”
The Masons were
early pioneers of many
farming practices that
are common today. They
began soil testing in 1980,
and continuous cropping
and direct seeding in 1984.
Barry remembers going
with his father, Albert, to a
seminar in Edmonton that
opened their eyes to these new techniques. Together, father
and son were the co-founders of the Delia Conservation 2000
Club, of which Barry has been president since 1997. Barry is also
a director of the Delia Agricultural Society, and he and Dawn
have been very active with various local sporting organizations.
“We’re well-known, and the community has shrunk, so you have
to do your part,” he says.
15
Representing County of Lethbridge
MCCANN FAMILYCoaldale, Alberta
The McCann family has relatives who live a long way from
the farm, and lead a decidedly non-agricultural lifestyle. But
those rural roots still mean something. “We have great-nieces
and nephews in Sechelt, B.C.,” says Marlene McCann. “Their
mother spent every summer on the farm and they’ve told their
teachers, ‘We have a farm in Alberta.’ Our farm is quite busy in
the summer with people visiting.” The appeal may grow even
more, now that the McCanns have won a 2012 BMO Farm Family
Award representing the County of Lethbridge.
The McCanns took a rather indirect path to the family’s
eventual homestead near Readymade, east of Coaldale. John
and Catherine McCann started
out in Bruce County, Ontario, and
moved to North Dakota in 1896.
Ten years later, they brought their
nine children to Southern Alberta.
In 1962, their grandson Don and
his wife Marlene moved onto land
Don’s father Carl had purchased
in 1932.
The two portions of the
McCann Farms operation require
different skill sets and techniques.
Four quarter-sections are owned and irrigated using pivots and
water-conserving drop tubes. This is quite a change, Marlene
says, from using ditching equipment and flooding the land,
which was the accepted practice years ago.
Don and Marlene’s son Todd farms several thousand leased
acres a bit west of the irrigated land, and practises direct seeding
and continuous cropping because the land is so dry. Todd grows
wheat, canola, barley, peas, and hay on this land. Two other sons,
Alan and Scott, work at careers away from the farm, but make a
point of coming back to help during the busy seasons.
At one time, the McCanns also operated a hog barn and a
small feedlot, but found the economics didn’t work on a small
scale. The growth in cattle-feeding operations in their area,
however, has provided a ready market for the farm’s hay, says
Marlene. “We have some recreational livestock,” she adds. “Our
granddaughter has a couple of horses and we have a couple of
donkeys.”
Although the price of irrigated land has risen so high
that some of the older families are gone, Marlene notes that
new people have moved into the community, often living
on a quarter-section while working at another job. She
cites the construction of the
new Readymade Community
Centre, on the site of the old
Readymade School, as an example
of co-operation between the
longstanding families of the
area and newer members of the
community.
The McCanns have been
involved in the Coaldale-area
community in many capacities,
both sporting and professional.
They have helped with fundraising for various causes, and
Marlene was at various times a County Councilor and chair of
the school board. She is also very involved in her church. Todd,
like his grandfather before him, is on the County Seed Cleaning
Co-op board.
“It’s just sort of what you do when you live in a community,”
says Marlene of the family’s record of service. She adds with a
laugh: “If somebody wants to know something, they come to the
families like ours that have been around a long time.”
16
Representing the Municipal District of Pincher Creek
MOWAT FAMILYCowley, Alberta
In 1907, George Edward Mowat came to Canada. Two years
later, he applied for a homestead 13 kilometres north of Cowley.
What made Mowat a bit different from most other homesteaders
at that time was his background. He wasn’t from agricultural
stock; he hadn’t even lived in a rural environment. He came
from London, at the time the largest city in the world, and his
previous work experience was in a bank. “He’d never even been
on a farm until he came out here,” says his son, also named
George.
The elder George Mowat spent many years working at other
ranches as he built his own operation. Along with cattle, he
also raised pigs and chickens. Today, the Mowat Family Ranch
is a cow-calf-yearling
operation with an average
of 450 cows grazing on
several thousand acres,
some of them leased and
some Forestry Reserve
land. Additionally, about
500 acres are devoted to
hay. And as the Mowat
family approaches its
100th anniversary on the
same piece of land, there’s
another celebration in the works — because the Mowats are the
2012 BMO Farm Family representing the Municipal District of
Pincher Creek.
It was during the younger George Mowat’s time at the helm
that the ranch became focused on the cattle business. “We
started out with Hereford cattle for a long time, but the boys
have pretty well gone to Angus or Angus-cross,” he says. “The
boys” are Bruce and Don, the sons of George and his wife Shirley.
Bruce and his wife Marianne ranch on the original home place,
while Don, his wife Donna, their son Justin and his wife Laura
and their family operate on land further to the north.
The Mowats haven’t always just had cattle on their ranch.
Like any true ranch, there were horses, too. “I rode four miles
to school,” George points out, adding that the children almost
grew up in the saddle. “They all learned to ride as soon as they
could walk,” says Shirley. Both can remember a time, not too
long ago, when cattle were driven, not trucked, into the hills to
graze for the summer.
“I’ve always been interested in history,” George says of his
quarter-century-plus involvement with the Heritage Acres Farm
Museum, where he is both a founding member and the first
past president. He was also
part of the local advisory
committee during the
construction of the
Oldman River Dam, and
helped to organize and
run the first 4-H beef club
in the Cowley-Lundbreck
area. Shirley has been a
member of the Livingstone
Ladies Club for 51 years.
Bruce continues the
tradition, too. He helped found the Livingstone landowners
group and is active in other community organizations. Don and
Donna participate in many shows and parades, including the
Stampede, with their big team of horses.
While George has concerns about the future of small family
operations in an age when agri-businesses seem to get bigger
and bigger, he says it means a lot that a fifth generation
of Mowats, Justin’s children, are growing up in the family
tradition.
17
Representing Special Area No. 4
REDEL FAMILYConsort, Alberta
The move away from the time-honoured technique of
summer-fallowing occurred at different times, and in different
ways, for many Alberta farmers. Barry Redel can remember the
exact moment the decision was made for his own family farm.
“In 1988, when I graduated from university, we came home
from the ceremonies in Edmonton and the soil north of the
house was blowing. I said, ‘That’s enough of that. I don’t want to
do that anymore.’ ”
The Redel family has lived on the farm nine kilometers north
of Consort since Barry’s grandfather, Art, homesteaded there in
1908. Since Art also brought his father to live on the farm, the
children of Barry and his
wife Selena are the fifth
generation on the land.
While the family has
worked the land for
100 years, Barry says
diversification will be
the key for the next
century. While “years
ago our rotation was
wheat on wheat on
wheat,” he notes, the
farm’s 2,000 acres are
now seeded in peas, canola, hard red spring wheat, and soft
white wheat. “The peas fix nitrogen, so we’ll grow hard red
spring on that to get the protein kick. We’ll have a legume, then
a cereal, then an oilseed and then a cereal again.”
There have been other changes in method and technique
as well, such as direct seeding and direct harvesting, and that
amounts to a very different way of farming that has Barry
enthused. “It’s done wonderful things for our soil. Water erosion
isn’t near the issue it used to be. We’ve been at this 103 years and
we’re kind of getting the hang of it.”
Over the generations, the Redel family has built quite a
resume of community involvement. Barry has served on the
Alumni Association for Olds College, the Dry Country Gas Co-op
and United Church boards, and has been active in the UFA,
Alberta Wheat Pool Young Farmers, Neutral Hills Community
Adult Learning and the Consort School Council. Selena is on the
Bullying and Family Violence Committee and has served on the
Consort Minor Sports Board. “I’ve backed off a little bit because
the kids, Lisa and Scott, are so busy. I suspect, once they’re
done, I’ll be looking for
something to do again,”
Barry admits.
This multi-
generational community
involvement, along
with their passion for
agriculture, makes the
Redel family the Special
Area No. 4 BMO Farm
Family for 2012.
Sometimes having
children around can provide a bit of perspective, Barry says. “I
said to my daughter, ‘I don’t get all this technology.’ She said,
‘You have GPS in the tractor that drives the tractor for you. You
have automatic boom shut-off that turns the boom on and off
when you’re driving the sprayer. You have a laptop in the cab
of the tractor so you can do record-keeping. You have a smart
phone to check the weather and get market updates. You’re
doing OK with technology.’ ”
basically — leave it in good shape for generations to come.”
18
Representing the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31
ROWLAND FAMILYHigh River, Alberta
There wasn’t a lot going on in Southern Alberta before the
railway arrived, but the Rowland family was here. According
to Phil Rowland, the CPR had only arrived in the Medicine
Hat area when his great-grandfather Arthur homesteaded
near Aldersyde in 1883. “I think the winter closed in on them,
and when they woke up in the spring they said, ‘I’m tired of
travelling,’ ” Phil jokes.
There are still family members on that original homestead,
but Phil’s outfit – Rowland Family Farms – is split between
two locations, one just northeast of Mazeppa where he was
raised, and the ranching operation west of Longview that was
started by his maternal
grandfather.
The base breed in
the Rowland herd of
several hundred mother
cows and grass cattle is
now Angus, and Phil’s
own stewardship of the
operation has seen some
changes made. “If you
have enough history,
maybe we can learn from
it and do something different in the future,” he says. “I think I
have my grandpa’s cow herd back. He was more holistic than we
were in between. I’m back to seeing what he saw in smaller cows
that can go year-round without much maintenance.”
On the crop side, which accounts for about a quarter of the
outfit’s acreage, Phil concentrates on feed barley, rye and forage
for the cattle, using minimum till. “I’ve shied away from GMO
crops,” he remarks. “It kind of suits our holistic view on life. Our
big thing is to use strategies to make the grazing season longer.
We don’t put up a lot of feed in bale form. The cows are now the
harvesters, instead of me.”
Farming wasn’t the first item on Phil’s career agenda. He
spent time in the oilpatch overseas, and started the Okotoks
Flight Centre. After marrying Pam and moving to the farm near
Mazeppa, he began to concentrate on farming full-time. The
couple have three children — Miranda, Andrea and Troy — who
help out at busy times.
“Both my grandpa and my dad were school trustees,” Phil
says, but his own community involvement runs more to
agriculturally related bodies. He is President of the Western
Stock Growers’ Association, a member of the Land Agents’
Advisory Committee, and a board member with the Southern
Alberta Land Trust,
Livestock Identification
Services, and the
Foothills Forage and
Grazing Association. “We
all need to take our turn,
step up, and give back
what we have to give
back and do our part
for our community,” he
insists. The Rowlands’
holistic beliefs, in terms
of both the land and the
community, are a large reason for their selection as the 2012
BMO Farm Family for the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31.
Located only about 20 minutes south of Calgary, Phil has seen
quite a change in the makeup of the area. “Newer members of
our community on smaller plots of land add a whole different
flavour to our community,” he says. “We’re not stuck in our 1983
paradigm, where we only associate with older members of the
community.”
19
Representing Rocky View County
ROWNEY FAMILYMadden, Alberta
There have been Rowneys in the Madden area since 1927. That
was the year William Rowney, originally from England, moved
from the Tilley area. The half-section, two miles south and a
mile east of Madden, that he bought in 1945 is still “the home
place” for the family. William Rowney’s passion for farming
is carried on by his sons, who are the 2012 BMO Farm Family
Award winners representing Rocky View County.
Don’t look for a fancy title on the mixed grain operation,
though. “It’s just Dave and Dennis Rowney. We work together.
We’re brothers and we just work that way. We know what has to
be done,” says Dennis.
It isn’t just for farming
that the Madden area knows
the Rowney brothers. Dennis
operated a school bus for
30 years and has spent the
same amount of time with
the Madden Fire Department,
of which he is now Chief of
Station 53. Dave is the Fire
Department Treasurer and
has been with the organization
for 25 years. Dennis is also
involved with the Madden Ag Society, and both brothers have
been active in local sporting bodies. “You don’t want to see your
community dry up and blow away,” Dennis says. “If nobody
volunteered, it would go away. You have to get involved to keep
it going.”
Although their father operated a small dairy, as well as the
mixed grain operation, the brothers now concentrate on their
crops. There have been a lot of changes since they assumed the
helm when their father died in 1972. “It’s a big effort to keep
up,” Dennis explains. “Everything’s going computerized. I’m
of a generation that didn’t really get into the computers, but I
have to learn it.” His wife, Debra, he says, does a lot of the farm’s
computer work.
“We’re trying to get into the zero till/minimum till operation,
so we had to get some updated equipment,” Dennis says. The
increase in costs has been another major change for farmers to
weather, he points out. “When I bought my first piece of land, I
wondered when I’d ever get out of debt – and that was only forty
thousand dollars. A half-ton (pickup) is worth that, now.”
The six-quarter parcel that
the brothers farm is seeded
about a third in canola and
two-thirds in barley. “We
went out of canola for a few
years because we couldn’t get
the yields, but now they’ve
come out with different
varieties, so we’ve gotten back
into it,” says Dennis. “We’re
trying to emphasize more the
malt end of the barley, but it
doesn’t always go that way.”
Another generation of Rowneys is showing some interest,
Dennis says. Although his son Brad works full-time off the
farm, “he helps out where he can. We’re trying to get him into
it.” Working with his brother and his son on the same land his
father worked means a lot to Dennis: “It’s a sense of pride. It’s
an accomplishment. Yes, it is.”
20
Representing the County of Warner No. 5
SCHMITT FAMILYMilk River, Alberta
It took Cameron Schmitt’s great-grandfather Peter Schmitt
a lot of looking before he found the place he wanted to settle
down — but once he found that place, he put down some pretty
deep roots. Born in Germany, Peter first travelled to Minnesota,
and then to North Dakota, before arriving in Alberta in 1908.
The family has been in the Masinasin area, east of Milk River,
ever since. More than a century later, the Schmitt family is the
2012 BMO Farm Family Award winner for the County of Warner
No. 5.
Sometimes, Cameron says, he thinks about those earlier
generations. “When you’re out there early in the morning or late
at night, you wonder what
they thought. You see their
old trees and you think
about the toils they went
through. They had it a lot
tougher than we have.”
In 1987, after taking
a degree in Agricultural
Economics at the University
of Alberta, Cameron and
his wife Janelle took over
the farm. Since 1994, the
Schmitts’ 5,500 acres, half owned and half leased, has seen
direct seeding and been continuously cropped. “The whole
prairies are chem-fallowed and continuously cropped, now,”
Cameron observes. “This year it seems like it blew from about
September to April. Had it been the 1930s, I’m sure the ditches
would have been full of soil — but there was no problem at all
with blowing soil.”
The Schmitts grow durum, barley and winter wheat, rotating
with oilseeds, most recently canola, pulses (currently yellow
peas) and forage seeds. The forage seeds — various types of
brome and crested wheat grasses — are what make the Schmitt
operation a little different. Some are sold to the U.S. through a
local processor, while Cameron markets the rest in Canada. He
admits it was a better business when the exchange rate favoured
the American dollar. The forage seed business, he adds, “kind of
spreads out our harvest.” On the other hand, “Sometimes we’ll
sit on seeds for four years. It’s pretty hit or miss. You have to
wait for the highs.”
Both Cameron and Janelle have been extremely active in the
Milk River area community. Cameron has volunteered with
Conservation 2000, the
United Church, the Milk
River East Water Co-op, and
the Milk River Ag Society.
Janelle teaches at the Milk
River Elementary School, is
a member of the Erie Rivers
High School booster club,
and is the secretary for the
local recreation board. Their
two sons, Clayton and Rylan,
have kept them busy with
hockey, baseball, and 4-H.
“If you want something to happen, you have to get involved,”
Cameron says. “Farms are two and three times bigger than they
used to be, and there’s a lot fewer people in rural communities.”
It’s too soon to tell if their boys will take up farming, Cameron
says. “When you’ve been doing it for a hundred-and-some-
years, it’s good to keep the ball rolling. They have to decide to
want to do it, but you want the opportunity to be there.”
21
Representing Wheatland County
TOWER FAMILYGleichen, Alberta
One of the trickiest issues to manage in any business is the
question of succession. The Tower family, the 2012 BMO Farm
Family representing Wheatland County, has passed the family
farm from father to son no fewer than three times. “There’s a
time to work and a time to move over,” says Terry Tower. “It’s a
nice transition to get to be the hired man.”
Addison Tower Jr. came to Canada in 1905 after his father was
killed by a tornado back home in Nebraska. The next year, he
brought his mother and sister up to join him and they filed on a
homestead a few kilometres north and west of Gleichen. He was
succeeded by his son Richard,
who passed it on to his son
Terry, whose son Curtis farms
it now.
The farms was officially
titled Tower Ranches in
1973, when it was still both a
cow-calf and a mixed grains
operation. In 2008, the
decision was made to sell out
of the cattle business when
an arrangement was made
with a neighbour who had a
well-established herd. “He didn’t like farming and I didn’t like
cattle,” Terry explains. “We rented his farmland and he rented
our pasture and hay land — and we were both happy.”
The Towers have about 2,500 acres in crops, divided more
or less equally among wheat, barley and canola. “Basically,
we’re totally dryland farming,” says Terry, who followed the
normal practice of summer-fallowing half his land until his
son returned from school. “We switched over to no-till farming,
and I’ll give my son Curtis credit for that. I must admit the
continuous cropping has paid off immensely. We have no soil
erosion, which we used to have big problems with — especially
in wet years. The soils are mellower and retain moisture better
than they ever did.”
Terry and his wife Brenda, who also hails from a farm
family dating back over a century, have been very active in the
Gleichen-and-area communities. Terry is past president of
the Agriculture Society, Arena Board and High School Rodeo
Association, past secretary of the Lions Club, and past master
of the Masonic Lodge. He also
helped found the Gleichen
Rural Fire Department, and
is a member of the Royal
Canadian Legion. Brenda
has been involved in 4-H
and active with several
educational bodies and her
church. She is the secretary
of the Gleichen and District
Fall Fair Committee. Curtis
is a member of the Lions
Club, and is a director of the
Strathmore Seed Cleaning
Plant. Both he and his wife Brandi keep very busy with the
activities of their five children.
There is a lot of satisfaction to be had in life on the farm,
Terry says. “I was fortunate. I had the opportunity to work in the
city after I graduated from high school. My Dad said, ‘There has
to be something you’d rather do than farm.’ After four years in
the city, I decided I’d rather be on the farm. All we can hope is
that the economy and life let us progress.”
22
Representing Cardston County
WEBSTER FAMILYMountain View, Alberta
The cattle business has seen some big changes in recent
decades, but big changes aren’t anything new for the
Webster family, the 2012 BMO Farm Family Award recipients
representing Cardston County. In fact, arguably the biggest
change the family ever saw was the establishment of the
Webster Family Ranch in 1894.
Back in Star Valley, Wyoming, the Websters were miners.
After losing a brother underground, William Webster set out in
search of a change. He found what he was looking for a couple of
miles west of Mountain View, Alta., and established his ranch.
“The ironic thing was,
they’d work the land spring,
summer and fall, and go to
Lethbridge and work in the
coal mines in the winter
to have enough money to
live on,” explains William’s
great-grandson Barry.
In 1984, Barry and wife
Laura bought the ranch from
Barry’s father Grant and
began to grow the business.
At its peak, the operation
occupied 480 owned acres and 3,000 more leased for a herd
of 500 cow/calf pairs as well as a herd of purebred Charolais. A
battle with cancer adjusted Barry’s outlook on life, and the cow/
calf herd has been downsized to about 300 head.
“I don’t need to work quite as hard as I have for the last 28
years. I’ve been doing it for as long as I remember,” he says. “It’s
a tremendous way of life. In calving season, although it’s hectic
and you get tired, the miracle of new life is always amazing to
me.”
As busy as the ranch keeps them, the Websters find time for
their community. “Helping in the community is a way of life
in rural Alberta,” Barry says. “My father and my grandfather
both ranched and taught school. Laura has taught school all
our married life.” Barry’s educational involvement has been
pretty impressive, too. Four years on the parent council of
the Mountain View school — and then six years on the school
board, two of them as chairman. As well, Barry was a UFA
representative for the Cardston and Pincher Creek areas
from 1996 to 2008, when he was elected to the UFA’s board of
directors, upon which he
still serves.
A fifth generation of
Websters — Barry and
Laura’s children Angelyn,
Cindy and Curtis — grew
up actively involved in
the ranch. The girls and
their husbands still make
an effort to help out when
they are needed. Although
Curtis is employed full-
time off the ranch, “he
helps me out quite a bit. Evenings and weekends, he’s always
out helping me do things,” Barry says.
The family has a strong attachment to the ranch. “It’s
definitely a respect for the land and the efforts that previous
generations have made to make it what it is today,” says Barry.
“My roots are pretty deep.
“It would take something severe,” he adds, “to get me to part
with this land.”
23
Representing the Municipal District of Ranchland No. 66
WIDEMAN FAMILYNanton, Alberta
The name on the mailbox might change, but the family
working the ranch often has a long and deep connection to that
piece of property going back generations. The Wideman family
of Mapiatow Ranch Ltd., the 2012 BMO Farm Family Award
winner representing the Municipal District of Ranchland No.
66, is an excellent example.
The Wideman spread, 27 kilometres straight west of Nanton,
was started by Rod Macleay from Quebec’s Eastern Townships
in 1901. Now run by the Wideman family, fourth-generation
descendants of Rod Macleay through
his daughter Dorothy and her
daughter Betty, some of the practices
in use in today’s cow-calf-yearling
operation date back to practices
followed by Macleay well over a
century ago.
In the early summer, many of the
cattle are moved west into Forestry
Reserves in the hills, leaving the
grass on the home pastures to
grow in order to be used for winter
pasture. Some tame grass is used for
hayland, and some spraying is done
for weed control, but efforts are made to keep the range close to
its natural state.
Roxy Wideman, Rod Macleay’s great-granddaughter, is
President of the Rocky Mountain Forest Range Association. “If
you’ve got good grass, if you take care of your range, that’s where
wildlife ends up,” she says. “A really good indicator that you’re
taking care of your watershed and your range is how much
wildlife likes being there.”
While Roxy looks after managing the livestock end of things,
her father Glenn and brother Ross are busy with haying, feeding
and fencing. Another brother, Grant, helps out when he can,
and Roxy’s mom Betty does whatever is needed. The seven
children who represent the fifth generation of the family are
still too young to get significantly involved just yet.
The heavy involvement of the female side of the family,
according to Roxy, shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows the
area’s history. “The girls are as active as the boys,” she says. “I
don’t know if that’s true in a lot of places, but it is in this west
country with other families as well,
which is kind of neat to see.”
The family was a founding
member of the Chinook Country
Cattlemen, continues to be active
in the local Ag Society, and supports
local rodeo events. Ross, Grant,
and Roxy have all been involved
in numerous local sporting bodies
over the years.
“This family seems to be big on
staying in agriculture and going
forward,” remarks Roxy. “There’s a
big foundation in our family history. It gets in your blood — all
the old clichés. If you want to make big money, it’s not where
you’re going to stay. We learned from our parents and our
grandparents how to do what we’re doing now. Every generation
has its own ideas. All the old ones aren’t bad, and all the new
ones aren’t good. When you’re in a family business like this one,
your business plan is kind of 75 years long. It’s different from
renting land and figuring out how to maximize your return.
“One of the biggest challenges,” she adds, “is being successful,
putting the best product forward, and being good stewards of
the land.”
24
2011Cardston County: Clayton & Senta Gast
County of Forty Mile: P Ridge Farms; Ken & Kim Kultgen
County of Lethbridge: Triangle 7 Farms; Eugene Wauters
County of Newell: Niznik Farms; Bruce & Jodi Niznik
County of Warner: K Palmer Farms; Keith & Lynne Palmer
Kneehill County: Arda Farms; Jay & Lorena Davis
MD of Foothills: Haralta Ranches Ltd.; Jesse & Sarah Hari
MD of Pincher Creek: Elkhorn Stock Ranch; Hilton & Alta Pharis
MD of Ranchland: L4L Ranches Ltd.; John & Donna Keeley
MD of Willow Creek: Lamb Farms; Stan & Arlene Lamb
Mountain View County: Grandview Acres Farm; Larry & Grace Mullen
Rocky View County: Walsh Farms; Harley Walsh
Special Area #2: Rafter T Cattle Company Ltd.; Tom & Lorna Osadczuk
Special Area #3: Peacock Farms; Bruce & Karen Peacock
Special Area #4: Webbalta Ranches Ltd.; Kenneth, Vivian, Winston & Darlene Webb
Starland County: John & Nadine Duncalf
Vulcan County: Lindstedt Farms Ltd.; Mark Lindstedt
Wheatland County: Dwayne & Mary Marshman
PAST WINNERS
25
Photo Credit: Glen Wideman
2010Country of Forty Mile: Courtland Hill Farms; Rob & Stephanie VanRoessel
Country of Lethbridge: XTC Hereford Farm Ltd; Doran & Byron Templeton
County of Newell: Hemsing Homestead; Tracey & Michele Hemsing
County of Warner: Cronkhite Cattle Co Ltd; Darcy & Carol Cronkhite
Kneehill County: Eskeland Farms Ltd; Jim Eskeland
MD of Foothills: Earl Ranches; Harley & Joan Earl
MD of Pincher Creek: Reed Farms; Roy & Diane Reed
MD of Ranchland: Willow Spring Ranch; Carl & Julia Gerwin
MD of Willow Creek: The Van Hierdens; Harvey & Bernita Van Hierden
Mountain View County: Casebeer Farms; Mernus Casbeer
Rocky View County: Dunn Farms; Jim, Lorne & Danny Dunn
Special Area #2: Ridge Ranch Ltd; Greg & Karen Gordon
Special Area #3: Raymond & Sherrie Rude
Starland County: Dodd Farms; Larry, Cindy, Daniel, Sarah & Michelle Dodd
Vulcan County: Davey Farms Ltd; Wayne & Mike Davey
Wheatland County: J C Ranch; Doug & Wes Clark
2009Cardston County: Bectell Ranch; Jeff & Elizabeth Bectell
County of Forty Mile: Thurston Family Farm; Rick & Wendy Thurston
County of Lethbridge: Schuld Farms Ltd.; Peter & Alice and Ed & Chris Schuld
County of Newell: Loewen Family; Dan & Marg Loewen
County of Warner: Losey Farms Ltd.; Alan & Diane Losey
Kneehill County: R-Jay Farms; Rita & James Main
MD of Foothills: Jeffrey/Egeland Family; Susan Jeffrey & Mark Egeland
MD of Pincher Creek: Cyr Family; Clarence & Helen Cyr
MD of Ranchland: Bluebird Valley Ranch Ltd.; Cameron & Jolayne Gardner
MD of Taber: Tri R Farms; Tim & Patricia Redekop
MD of Willow Creek: Sun Prairie Organic; Neall & Llizabet Coulson
Mountain View County: Jackson Family; Joe & Joanne Jackson
Rocky View County: Scott Stock Farm; Earl & Debra Scott
Special Area #2: Malaka Ranches; Sylvester & Yvonne Malaka
Special Area #3: Caskey Family; Graham & Marlene Caskey
Special Area #4: Murphy Land & Cattle Ltd; Robert & Rosemary Murphy
Starland County: Richmond Ranch; Jim & Stephanie Richmond
Vulcan County: Bexte Family; Nadine & Hubert Bexte
Wheatland County: Risdon Farming Ltd.; Norma-Jean & Doug Risdon
PAST WINNERS
26
2008Cardston County: Martin, Sheila, Keeley & Braeden Hillmer
County of Forty Mile: Marlene (Ray) and Sons
County of Lethbridge: Lloyd, Connie & Ryan Mercer
County of Newell: Barg Farms, Fred & Doug Barg
County of Warner: 409490 Alberta Ltd, Bill & Paula Kaupp
Kneehill County: Rowbottom Farms, Richard & Joe Rowbottom
MD of Foothills: Humfrey Farms Ltd, Bruce & Norma Humfrey
MD of Pincher Creek: M & H Ranch and Feedlot Inc, Harry & Marilyn Welsch
MD of Ranchland: Don & Donna Mowat
MD of Taber: Gouw Quality Onions, Casey Sr., Casey Jr. & Kyle Gouw
MD of Willow Creek: Husted Farms, Larry & Theresa, Tom & Florence Husted
Mountain View County: Mastin Seeds. Bob Mastin
Rocky View County: Farquharson Farms, Don & Marlene Farquharson
Special Area #2: 2L Ranch, Delbert & Elanor Humfrey
Special Area #3: Hern Ranches, Jim & Carol Hern
Starland County: Reed Farms, Walter, Roxie, Jason, & Goldie Reed
Vulcan County: HP Hansen Farms Ltd, Henry & Christine Hansen
Wheatland County: Rocky Ridge Land and Cattle, Lorne & Noreen Stewart
2007Cardston County: Craig & Mary Ellen Smith
County of Lethbridge: Witdouck Farms Ltd., Brian, Calvin & Dale Witdouck
County of Newell: Rommens Farms Ltd., Wendell Rommens
County of Warner: R. J. McKenzie Farms, Ron, Joan & Mike McKenzie
Cypress County: Franz Land & Cattle Co., Gary Franz
Kneehill County: Sorenson Farms Ltd., Murray & Ingrid Sorenson
MD of Foothills: McPherson Ranch, Hugh McPherson
MD of Pincher Creek: Windswept Ranch, Fred & Dierdre Schoening
MD of Ranchland: Nelson Ranch, Einar & Judy Nelson
MD of Taber: Midland Colony, Jon Kleinsasser & Family
MD of Willow Creek: Jack & Colleen De Kok & Family
Mountain View County: Bird Family Farm, Grant Bird
Rocky View County: Cairns Feed Yard, Larry & Joan, DJ & Pam Cairns
Special Area #2: R & L Holdings, Rick & Donna Laughlin
Special Area #3: Whispering Sand Farm, James Newton
Starland County: Leonhardt Farms, Ron & Helen Leonhardt
Wheatland County: Daryl & Connie Lausen
PAST WINNERS
27
2006Cardston County: Nish Farms, Wayne & Debbie Nish & Jenni & Burke Nish
County of Forty Mile: Van Tryp Brothers Ltd., the Van Tryp Families
County of Lethbridge: Keujer Farms, Bernny & Sandi Keujer & Family
County of Newell: Kokay Farms Ltd., David & Kathlyn Peltzer
County of Warner: Nick D’Agnone Farms Ltd., John & Shelia D’Agnone
Cypress County: Fawn Creek Ranching, Geoff & Melanie Watson
Kneehill Couty: Bates Farms, Del & Sharon Bates & Families
MD of Foothills: Prairie Rock Farms, Robert G. & Carrie Jackson & Family
MD of Pincher Creek: Twin Butte Simmentals, Tony & Lorraine Bruder & Family
MD of Ranchland: Bateman Ranch, William & Pat Bateman
MD of Taber: Welsh Family Farm, James, Cindy & Jason Welsh
Mountain View County: Meadow Lea Farms, Gary & Kathy & Kelly Richards
Rocky View County: Lamb Cattle Co. Ltd., John, Kim, Nicole & Dustin Lamb
Special Areas #2: Bar J Bar Ranch Ltd., Gene & Mary Johnson & Family
Special Areas #3: Wagstaff Land & Cattle, Barry & Juanita Wagstaff
Starland County: Don & Sherry Bitz and Family
Vulcan County: Bushell Farms Ltd., Doug & Sharleen Bushell & Family
Wheatland County: Sevcik Simmental Ranch, Marvin & Donna Sevcik
MD of Willow Creek: Echo Springs Ranching Co. Ltd., Bill & Dave Massie & Families
2005Cardston County: Bullock Land & Livestock, William & Sylvia Bullock & Families
County of Forty Mile: XL Bar Ranch Ltd. Terry Lane & Families
County of Newell: Steinbach Ranching, Bernard & Ruth Steinbach
County of Warner: Pittman Brothers, Charles Pittman Family
Cypress County: Biemans Farms, Ken Biemans & Family
Kneehill County: Kubinec Farms, Pat Kubinec & Family
MD of Foothills: Robertson Ranch, Alex Robertson & Family
MD of Pincher Creek: The Bloomin Inn, Francis & Colleen Cyr & Family
MD of Ranchland: Webster Ranch, Arthur & Betty Webster & Family
MD of Taber: De Groot Farms, John & Sandra De Groot & Family
MD of Willow Creek: Bar S Ranch, Clay & Avril Chattaway & Family
Mountain View County: Notley Farms, Wayne & Thelma Notley
Rocky View County: Hansons Ranches, Ron & Irene Hanson & Family
Special Area #2: Housch Family Farm, Rick & Wilda Housch
Special Area #3: Peterson Farms, Merlin & Clara Peterson
Special Area #4: Hadwin Cattle Company, Doug & Joan Hadwin & Family
Starland County: Michie Farms Ltd., George Michie & Family
Vulcan County: Clemalta Farms, Bob & Beverley Clemens
Wheatland County: Corbiell Herefords, Armand & Mary Corbiell
PAST WINNERS
28
2004Cardston County: R.C. Bust Farms
County of Forty-Mile: Harty Farms Ltd.
County of Newell: Armstrong Ranches
County of Warner: Hierath Farms
Cypress County: Flat Valley Farm
Kneehill County: E & D Hastie Farms
MD of Foothills: Newman Farms Ltd.
MD of Pincher Creek: McClelland Family Ranch
MD of Ranchland: Cross Six Ranch
MD of Taber: Oseen Farms
MD of Willow Creek: Gray Farm
Mountain View County: Israelson Farms
Rocky View County: 7 Y Bar Farms
Special Area #2: Stringer Ranches
Special Area #3: Camden Farms Ltd.
Special Area #4: Ron Letniak Farm
Starland County: Hoover Farm
Vulcan County: Benci Seed Farms
Wheatland County : Hilton Acres Ltd.
2003Cardston County: Bo-Mar Farms
County of Forty Mile: Schusslet Brothers
County of Lethbridge: Nolan Cattle Co, Ltd.
County of Newell: Lazy A Farms Ltd.
County of Warner: Hwy 52 Beef Producers Ltd.
Cypress County: Aberle Farms
Kneehill County: Penner Land & Cattle Inc.
MD of Foothills: Giles Ranch
MD of Ranchland: Mountain Park Ranch
MD of Taber: Geremia Farms
Mountain View County: Pochapsky Farms
Rocky View County: Cairns Feedlot Ltd.
Special Area #2: Gould Ranching Ltd.
Special Area #4: Rooke Ranching Ltd.
Starland County: Wilson Grande Coulee Ranch
Vulcan County: Triple E Farms
Wheatland County: Ostergard’s Seed Farm Ltd.
2002Cardston County: Hansen Ranches
County of Forty Mile: Murray Lake Ranching
County of Lethbridge: Tokariuk Family
County of Newell: Burton Farms
County of Warner: Wilde Bros. Farms Ltd.
Cypress County: Yanke Ranches
Kneehill County: Stankievech Farms
MD of Foothills: Roseburn Ranches Ltd.
MD of Pincher Creek: Ricjard & Stephanie Hardy
MD of Ranchland: Rocking P Ranch
MD of Taber: Nakamura Farms Ltd.
MD of Willow Creek: Bar-RZ Polled Herefords
Mountain View County: West 40 Farms Ltd. & Richview Farms Ltd.
Special Area #2: Day Lenfesty
Starland County: Adams Land & Laivestock Ltd.
Vulcan County: Twin Valley Farm & Ranch
Wheatland County: Pat Cammaert Farm
2001Cardston County: Bar Double M Angus
County of Forty Mile: Edmond & Ruby Hirch
County of Lethbridge: Fletcher Farms
County of Newell: Fabian Seed Farms
County of Ranchland: Burke Creek Ranch Ltd.
County of Warner: Doenz Ranches Ltd.
Cypress County: V & V Farms
Kneehill County: Bell Farms
MD of Foothills: Schaal Ranch
MD of Pincher Creek: Cairnstone Farms
Mountain View County: Poplar View Ranch
Rocky View County: R. Havens Cattle Co.
Special Area #2: Rockyhill Ranch
Special Area #4: Deagle Cattle
Starland County: MDM Aqua Farms
PAST WINNERS
28
2000Cardston County: Dave & Kelly Newton
County of Forty Mile: Bruce & Carla Robertson
County of Lethbridge: Neveridle Farms Ltd.
County of Newell: Ernest & Anne Walde
County of Warner: G & N Farms Ltd.
Cypress County: Short Grass Ranches
Kneehill County: Arn’s Brae Farms
MD of Foothills: Wilson & Marlyne Sutherland
MD of Pincher Creek: Utopia Ranch
MD of Ranchland: T Over V Ranch
MD of Taber: Brian & Evelyn Conrad
Mountain View County: MacFarquhar Farming
Rocky View County: Gordon & Chris Bishop
Starland County: Brian & Jill Clayholt
1999County of Forty Mile: Dykshoorn Farms
County of Lethbridge: Groenenboom Land & Cattle
County of Warner: Baker Land & Cattle Co. Ltd.
Cypress County: Brian & Betty Kirschenman
Kneehill County: Sunterra Farms
MD of Foothills: Ball Ranches
MD of Pincher Creek: Jenkins Lazy U Ranch
MD of Ranchland: Stan Wilson & Family
MD of Taber: Stamp’s Select Seeds
Mountain View County: Innislake Dairy Farm
Rocky View County: Wooliams N2N Ranches
Special Area #4: Murphy Ranch
Starland County: Morrin Corner Bison Ranch
Vulcan County: Doug & Mary Anne Stanko
Wheatland County: John & Allison Sander
1998County of Forty Mile: Jim & Anne Geldrich
County of Lethbridge: Chapman Farms
County of Newell: South Slope Feeders Ltd.
County of Warner: Sleepy Hollow Seeds Ltd.
MD of Foothills: C.R. Longson & Sons
MD of Pincher Creek: Antelope Butte Ranch Ltd.
MD of Ranchland: Nelson Creek Farms
MD of Taber: Huvanaars Seed Farms Ltd.
MD of Willow Creek: Morkin Farms Ltd.
Rocky View County: Winkler Farms
Starland County: Dan & Elaine Moe
Vulcan County: H & H Farms Ltd.
Wheatland County: L4 Ranches
1997County of Forty Mile: Elroy & Edith O’Hara
County of Lethbridge: F. Takeda & Sons Farm Ltd.
County of Newell: Pickett Ranching Ltd.
County of Warner: Doenz Farms Ltd.
Cypress County: Barry & Sandy Schorr
MD of Foothills: Northridge Farms Ltd.
MD of Pincher Creek: Bar 15 Simmentals & Stevick Angus Ranch
MD of Ranchland: Mount Sentinel Ranch Ltd
MD of Taber: Randy & Anne Luehr
Mountain View County: Remitall Cattle Co.
Rocky View County: Grandview Ag. Ltd.
Starland County: Pearson Farms
Wheatland County: Spring-Air Canada Ltd.
1996County of Forty Mile: Kelly & Judy Van Ham
County of Newell: Doerksen Farms
Cypress County: Keith & Rhonda Reesor
MD of Foothills: Callahan Farms
Rocky View County: Bell-Mor Farms
Starland County: R & D Farms
Wheatland County: Indian Springs Farms Ltd.
PAST WINNERS
29
SCHEDULE OF EVENTSJuly 9, 2012. Palomino Room, BMO Centre
9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.Registration
Champagne and Orange Juice Reception
10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.Greetings from the Alberta Government
Greetings from the Calgary Stampede
Grace - Darrel Janz
10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Buffet Brunch
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Greetings from BMO Bank of Montreal
- Bill Hogg, Vice President, Alberta/Northwest Territories Commercial District
Awards Presentation
Family Photograph Session
12:30 p.m. Closing Remarks - Darrel Janz
1:30 p.m.Rodeo Performance
2012 BMO FARM FAMILY AWARDS
Master of Ceremonies - Darrel Janz