Speaker Series March 23rd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don and his wife Marie farm 50 minutes east of Camrose. They are third generation farmers on the land that Don's grandparents settled in 1909. They purchased the farm in 1983. In 1996, they changed from a conventional model of  farming to an “organic niche market model” using holistic management practices.

 

The farm has been seeded to forage and has become less dependent on the modern day technology used in industrial farming.This way of farming is more agrarian in nature and has allowed them to become more familiar with the function and importance of the prairie ecosystem. In 2001, Don joined a group of like-minded individuals to form the Iron Creek Watershed Improvement Society, whose goal is “to create an awareness of the impact that we all have on the watershed”. This learning experience stressed the importance of stewardship and has brought about changes on their farm. Sound conservation practices are helping to promote as well as maintain a variety of biodiversity. The bottom line is that it has helped them to realize how important it is to respect and work with nature in the day to day practice of farming.