Returning home | Young family believes crop diversity will help ensure the future of 103-year-old family farm
DRUMHELLER, Alta. — For Cassandra and Calvin Russell, choosing a vacation is easier than swatting a mosquito on their farm near Alberta’s badlands.
That’s because Calvin’s parents, Craig and Janice, have properties in Manitoba and British Columbia and at a central Alberta lake.
After farming for 46 years, the elder Russells let go of the management reins to Cassandra, 23, and Calvin, 30, three years ago.
Craig and Janice moved to a new house in the district and continue to help seed and harvest the 3,500 acres of wheat, canola, peas, flax and barley.
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“Dad is a great resource person,” said Calvin, whose business plan involves gradually paying back his parents for the farm he now rents from them, keeping costs in check with slightly used equipment and fixing machines himself.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s new or old, all will break down,” he said.
Calvin grew up in the farm home he is currently renovating for his wife and their three preschoolers. He spent a decade off the farm working on natural gas engines in Drumheller, where he met Cassandra.
“Dad wanted me to get experience,” he said.
His sisters, Laura and Jill, pursued careers in Westlock, Alta., and Pilot Mount, Man.
Cassandra was an only child who grew up in town but has adapted to rural life. She considers herself fortunate to live and work on the farm, founded by Craig’s mother’s family after migrating here from Ontario.
She looks forward to welcoming another child by Christmas and homeschooling in the future.
“I just want to be more in control of what they learn,” she said.
It will also allow the family more opportunities to get away, she added.
Farming allows Calvin to be his own boss and experience a wide variety of tasks.
“Every day is different. There’s a brand new challenge every day,” he said.
Planting and watching a crop grow is particularly satisfying, the couple agrees. Crops are in good shape this year, despite a storm that dumped 125 millimetres of rain in 24 hours.
Oil and gas leases, so common in the area, are another challenge for crops. Calvin said yields are poorer above where pipelines are buried because heat from the pipes dries out plants.
He is concerned about the amount of agricultural land owned by energy firms.
“I hope I don’t have to be a serf farmer down the road, renting from them,” he said.
The Russells believe that continuous cropping benefits their farm and environment by minimizing soil disturbance. They also believe in crop diversity and growing shelterbelts to capture snow and slow erosion.
“I’m not farming for me but trying to farm for future generations,” Calvin said, noting both he and his parents also enjoyed preserving habitat for wildlife.
“We want to take care of the earth that you farm, not take all the nutrients out of it,” added Cassandra, who manages the books and helps when needed.
That includes planting canola and peas together to control weeds and generate organic matter.
“It’s more work, but it will pay off down the road. Overall, it’s more beneficial,” said Calvin, who swaths these crops and uses a seed cleaner to separate them.
The Russell family was recognized this year for its contribution to agriculture in Alberta with the Bank of Montreal Farm Family award, presented at the Calgary Stampede.
Cassandra called it a positive boost for the 103-year-old family farm.
“That made me feel good about what I was doing,” added Calvin.
For the future, the Russells can see enlarging the acreage slightly and involving their children. It’s the baby who enjoys riding in the tractor the most, while the oldest prefers the cows raised for the family’s use.
Farm safety is paramount for the Russells, who set clear boundaries in the yard to keep their girls out of harm’s way.
“We stay away from where Calvin’s working,” said Cassandra.
