Reflecting on 75 years of history can be a humbling experience. In the three quarters of a century since the Western Producer was founded, this newspaper and its readers have passed through depression, war, drought and other challenges that make many of today’s social and economic problems seem minor.
Fire, flood, or crop failure can still have a devastating impact on individual farm families. But the overall picture is a far cry from 1937, when the Prairie wheat crop averaged less than three bushels per acre.
Today’s young agricultural producers are entering an exciting world of sophisticated technology, wide-ranging diversification, and rapid agribusiness development.
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There will be ups and downs, but the future looks bright for prairie agriculture. The generations who will enjoy that future should be thankful for what previous generations did to make it possible.
Through boom and bust, earlier generations nurtured their own farms and ranches, built communities, and founded co-operatives and other organizations to promote their collective interests.
It may not have seemed so at times, but the past 75 years of prairie history are a remarkable story of progress and success.
Generations of Western Producer staff have been proud to be associated with that story. Whether providing a forum for producers to exchange views, or making available a classified marketplace for them to exchange used equipment, or writing about what other farmers and ranchers are doing, the goal has been to help producers get the information they need to cope with a changing world.
Producers’ need for information and understanding will grow as agriculture becomes even more complex. The Western Producer looks forward to another 75 years doing its part to help meet that need.
