HARDISTY, Alta. – It’s been almost 10 years, but Barry and Lana Love are still known as the couple that headed the group opposed to Taiwan Sugar’s massive hog operation in their central Alberta community.
The couple’s four-year involvement in the local group opposed to the 7,200-sow farrow-to-finish operation still influences their lives.
In 2000, when the County of Flagstaff issued a permit to build the barns at a series of locations across the county, few people knew about the long lasting impact.
“We ended up more front and centre than we planned to be. When we first started talking, we had no interest in being as vocal as we ended up being,” said Lana.
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During the flurry of opposition, Lana would take media calls from the cellphone while combining or come in for lunch to return dozens of calls.
“Our whole lives were consumed for four years,” said Barry.
The farm house office was renamed the “pig room” where they tried to contain most of the reports, papers and notes to help build a case opposing the development.
Community members opposed to the barn often met at the Love home, where they planned strategy, figured out ways to raise money to continue the fight or lend a sympathetic ear.
In the end, Taiwan Sugar didn’t build the barns, including four feeder barns about two kilometres west of the Love’s home, but it left a scarred community.
Not everyone was opposed to the project.
Some farmers hoped to sell land to the corporation for barns. Others wanted access to the excess manure the barns would generate and others believed it would bring diversification to the community.
“We’re trying to get past that. It created a lot of problems in the community. Neighbours didn’t talk to each other. The community has mended back together. People who didn’t want to talk, now chat,” said Barry.
Being front and centre in the hog fight made the couple more vocal. They’re now more willing to speak up on issues.
They’ve written letters to their MP about the Canadian Wheat Board debate, attended meetings on proposed electricity lines running near their farm and raised concerns about the amount of water used at a nearby Hutterite colony.
“If something that big came up again, I wouldn’t shy away. It was worth the fight,” said Lana.
Since learning more about ground water issues, the couple has started monitoring their water well. With a homemade depth sounder, the couple measures and records the depth of their water well each month.
Anecdotal evidence holds little weight when raising concerns about ground water, but records matter, they say.
The Loves discovered their well has dropped a metre in September and has dropped each month since.
The couple farms about 2,000 acres of wheat, barley, canola and peas and summerfallows the fifth year in an effort to break the disease cycle and reduce fertilizer use.
“We find our land needs a break,” said Barry.
Wheat is always sown following summerfallow in a bid to grow high protein wheat. All of their wheat is shipped off the farm in producer cars. Between their family and Barry’s brother, the two farms ship about 20 producer cars of wheat each year from a siding at Hardisty.
“Financially, it’s a no brainer,” said Barry.
He estimates they can load four producer cars in the same time it takes to haul grain to the elevator to load one car.
This year, the Loves bought shares in the Battle River Railway, the local new generation co-operative, as a way of supporting the community.
“It’s keeping money in the community,” said Barry.
During the winter, he spends time in the shop, repairing equipment, rebuilding motors or doing woodwork, building a potato hiller or a wood splitter. Their house is full of wooden creations built over the winter.
“I like that kind of stuff. I like to do woodwork.”
Lana spends much of her time making quilted table runners or other projects. Recently she enlisted Barry to help figure out how much material was needed to enlarge a quilt.
“We do everything together,” said Lana.
