The Ponoka processing facility owned by Family Meats Ltd. included a kill floor, abattoir, smoke house and retail area
PONOKA, Alta. — A sheet of ice covered the parking lot and yard site of the charred remains of Family Meats Ltd. in Ponoka last week after thousands of gallons of water were used to extinguish a fire that destroyed the slaughterhouse Dec. 1. An insurance adjuster arrived Dec. 3 to start the investigation. Fire […] Read moreStories by Maria Johnson
Fire destroys Alberta slaughterhouse
PONOKA, Alta. — A sheet of ice covered the parking lot and yard site of the charred remains of Family Meats Ltd. in Ponoka earlier this week, and an insurance adjuster arrived Tuesday to start the investigation. The ice formed from the run-off of thousands of gallons of water sprayed to extinguish a fire that […] Read more
General store delivers the goods
The Bluffton City General Store in central Alberta stays true to its motto: ‘if we don’t have it; you don’t need it’
BLUFFTON, Alta. — Experiencing Bluffton City General Store is worth the short detour into the hamlet off Highway 20 in central Alberta. Upon entering the slab-clad, tin-roofed building, it takes a moment to absorb the sheer quantity of items and visual stimuli. In general store fashion, there’s a little bit of everything — gas, groceries, […] Read more
Alta. ranch operators keen on tackling new ventures
On the Farm: Besides full-time jobs, the Williams family raises Boer-cross goats, pigs and chickens and grows pumpkins for local customers
PONOKA, Alta. — Mike Williams had given up on his youthful dream of farming. The dairy where he grew up had been sold years earlier. He and his wife, Dawn, both had jobs in town and they were happy enough. “I was telling this to a friend,” says Mike. “Then he told me about a […] Read more
Father and sons enjoy farming with each other
On the Farm: The Bystroms feel the pros of farming outweigh the cons and like the sense of freedom they get from it
SYLVAN LAKE, Alta. — Brothers John and Doug Bystrom have a standing coffee date most afternoons at 3:30 p.m. with their dad, Bernie, at his farm. The trio, partners in Bystrom Farms Ltd., discuss their crops and livestock, who’s doing what and where, and the daily goings-on in their neighbourhood, as well as the wider […] Read more
Alberta family manufactures a productive life for itself
The Groses have been inventing and building a variety of agricultural equipment on their farm near Clive, Alta., for the past 32 years
CLIVE, Alta. — There’s a lot going on at Rodono Industries Ltd., an agricultural equipment manufacturing business owned and operated by the Grose family. Vehicles come and go from the yard site, located on Jim and Faye Grose’s grain farm near this central Alberta community. Within Rodono’s 20,000 sq. foot building, the front office phone […] Read more
Honey producers earn sweet reward
A couple from central Alberta got into the beekeeping business by accident and now they help others succeed
LACOMBE, Alta. — Nestled in the grass near a field of brilliant canola sits a bee yard containing multi-coloured hives, most in shades of green, yellow, pink, red, and coral. The cheerful colour scheme identifies the hives as belonging to Howard Oudman and Freda Molenkamp-Oudman. Stacked among them are a few hives owned by Krystal […] Read more
Alberta farm raises produce for food banks
A decline in business prompted the initiative, and more than 31,000 pounds of root vegetables were delivered last year
WESTEROSE, Alta. — Steve and Nicky Breum’s 320-acre Gone Green Farms sits in a long lush valley in central Alberta not far from Pigeon Lake, one of the busiest recreation areas in the province. The couple raise livestock including Highland cattle, pigs, geese and ducks, but it’s their five acres of vegetable gardens that keep […] Read more
Dutch immigrants find land of opportunity
MILLET, Alta. — It was a chance for a new life, and the Dutch couple knew they had to at least give it a try. “We wanted to go the land of opportunity,” said Nynke Miedema, recalling the hopes and dreams she and husband, Lykele, shared when they left the Netherlands for Canada in 1983. […] Read more
Alberta family celebrates fishing lure milestone
From humble beginnings to world records, Thompson-Pallister Bait Co. celebrates 90 years in monumental fashion
LACOMBE, Alta. — Thompson-Pallister Bait Co. Ltd. celebrated its 90th anniversary in a monumental fashion. On June 1, the fourth generation family business unveiled what is possibly the world’s largest fishing lure; a 27.5 foot model of its classic red and yellow Five-Of-Diamonds spoon, the company’s most popular lure. Together with a 14-foot hook, the […] Read more
