The Neerlandia-Vega growing project near Neerlandia, Alta., is one of the oldest Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects in Alberta, beginning more than 30 years ago. This year the crop was harvested Oct 6. | Les Dunford photos
Stories by Les Dunford
Family reunion is a Sterling dozen
All 12 siblings from this large Alberta family are still alive: eight men and four women ranging in age from 65 to 88
It may not be a world record, but it is a local Westlock area record to have all 12 children from the same family living and in their senior years. In late July, the children of the late Russell and Jean Sterling gathered at the home farm near Westlock, Alta., now owned by Brent Sterling, […] Read more
Alta. gardener grows Canada’s biggest pumpkin
Don Crews of Lloydminster set a new Canadian record at this year’s Great White North Pumpkin Fair in Smoky Lake, Alta.
It was definitely a great pumpkin. Don Crews of Lloydminster, Alta., set a new Canadian record last month by growing a gourd weighing 2,537 pounds. Crews said he started the pumpkin in mid-April and it pollinated June 16. “It already had 14 or 15 feet of vine by then and I set back to just […] Read more
Alberta ewe gives birth to rare quintuplets
The extra mouths to feed have increased the amount of work that is required, but the owners feel it is worth it in the end
DAPP, Alta. — Leonard and Twyla Tomlinson, who farm west of Dapp, have raised sheep for 18 years. Twins, triplets, and the occasional quadruplets are pretty normal for them. Their flock average is 2.1 to 2.5 live lambs per ewe. But on April 22 one of their ewes gave birth to five healthy lambs. The […] Read more
Town’s last wooden elevator coming down
Westlock Terminals NGC Ltd. says it will dismantle the facility over two months rather than demolish it in a cloud of dust
The last wooden elevator will soon begin disappearing from the Westlock skyline on elevator row adjacent to the Canadian National Railway tracks. At the most recent meeting of the board of directors of Westlock Terminals NGC Ltd., it was voted to dismantle the wooden facility. Terminals chief executive officer Clifford Bell said the process is […] Read moreABP changes leadership at annual meeting
Melanie Wowk of Beauvallon, Alta., is the new chair of Alberta Beef Producers. Wowk, the former vice-chair, was elected to the executive on March 4 at the ABP annual meeting, held virtually. She replaces former chair Kelly Smith-Fraser in the role. Vice-chair is Jason Hale of Bassano and Brodie Haugan of Orion is finance chair. […] Read more
Triplet calves a first for Alta. cattle operation
Lonnie and Karen Brown wonder where it will end, considering the cow had a single calf two years ago and twins last year
Lonnie and Karen Brown have farmed for 35 years, raising cattle and growing grain on their mixed farm north of Westlock, Alta. Before that Karen’s parents, Evan and Betty Rose Roberts, also farmed there. On Dec 29, they experienced an event never before seen on Lone Stone Farms. One of their cows, Hetty 38D, a […] Read more
Better weather this winter eases calving stress
On the Farm: The next generation receives hands-on experience as members carry on a family tradition of raising cattle
WESTLOCK, Alta. — Scott and Wendy Letts have their home farm on the original Letts family homestead northwest of Westlock, Alta., near the Pembina River. Family have been on this farm for more than 100 years, and cattle have been part of the farm all along. Scott and Wendy raise more than 200 head of […] Read more
Taking the train was a Christmas adventure
The trip seemed like it took forever, but there was the ultimate holiday payoff at the end of the day — Grandma’s house
Christmas is often a time of memories, and for most folks, good memories. I have some special memories of this special time of year when I was just a young boy, growing up on the family farm a half-mile south of the hamlet of Dapp, Alta., where I still reside. The railroad runs through our […] Read more
The year Halloween took an explosive turn
One too many spooky tricks pushes a farm family over the edge, forcing them to take drastic nighttime action
Halloween brings back some humorous memories of Halloweens past when I was a kid, and some that were not so humorous. We grew up on the farm where I still live, just a half mile south of our little community of Dapp, Alta. There were more people there then, plus a few businesses — all […] Read more
