Alberta Beef Producers elected a new executive at its annual meeting held in Calgary Dec. 7-9.
Bob Lowe of Nanton is the new chair and Roland Calliau of Valleyview is vice-chair. Charlie Christie of Trochu is finance chair.
In addition, the winner of the environmental stewardship award was VXV Farms and the Vandervalk family located in the Porcupine Hills area of southern Alberta.
The family has been ranching in the area since 1956. They have developed a rotational grazing and unique water management system to maintain the ranch. Numerous dams have been created, and they build water troughs made from recycled mine truck tires, which has become an on-farm business.
The family is active in the community working with various landowner and stewardship groups. A major effort to conserve the region was made when they joined the Lyndon Creek Conservation Group. Working with neighbouring ranches, Cows and Fish and the Alberta Conservation Association, considerable work has been done to restore riparian areas, implement worked rotational grazing and off-stream watering projects.
barbara.duckworth@producer.com
