CRESTON, B.C. — Richard and Nancy Martens of Vanderhoof are British Columbia’s environmental stewardship award winners.
The award was presented at the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting in Creston May 23. It recognized the Martens family’s contribution to improving grazing and water management on their ranch, which is owned by a family partnership.
They are founding members of the Nechako Environmental and Water Stewardship Society. They also have a demonstration site on their farm where researchers and university and high school students may visit for environmental studies.
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The water program is centred around Murray Creek, where Martens and six neighbours worked to improve the water and restore spawning areas for white sturgeon.
They also have completed an environmental farm plan and joined an ecological goods and service project to protect riparian areas in their region.
“It is an ongoing thing and we still have a lot to do,” said Richard.
The Martens ranch was founded in the mid-1940s by Richard’s grandfather, David Martens. It is now run by five siblings, and Richard manages the beef division. The operation includes cropping, dairy and a feedlot.
The beef section includes 550 Angus cows, which calve in late April to early May. During the summer they are placed in a rotational grazing system and in winter they bale graze in an effort to cut feeding costs.
The Martens will participate in the national awards ceremony in August at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association convention in Prince Edward Island.
