Ten years ago, Alberta’s newest Outstanding Young Farmer wasn’t even a farmer.
He was a lot of other things — an engineer; an environmentalist; a former vegetarian — but although he had family who ranched, Ben Campbell was never a farm kid, and never really thought he would be.
But when he learned about the benefits of grazing on grassland conservation, Campbell decided to rent some land and buy four yearlings to finish on grass and direct market to friends and family.
And just like that, Campbell was a farmer.
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“I thought naively before I was in agriculture that farmers — and especially ranchers — wore cowboy hats and cowboy boots and a rodeo buckle,” said the 37-year-old owner of Tullichewan Ranch near Black Diamond.
“I literally didn’t own any of that stuff, and I felt really awkward wearing it because I didn’t feel at all like I was part of the industry. It felt like an impossible feat to be a different person than I was.
“But it turns out that’s not the case at all. There’s of course a huge diversity in agriculture. There are farms that are more than 100 years old, and then there are people like me who are just starting up. The biggest thing is that the industry is accepting of that diversity of producers and production methods.”
Campbell, who farms with wife Stephanie and their three young children, was named Outstanding Young Farmer for Alberta and the Northwest Territories last month. Part of the reason was the growth of the eight-year-old operation.
After starting with nothing but some rented land and four yearlings, Campbell bought 17 head his second year in business and then quit his job as an engineer for a large construction company in the oilsands to manage 27 head the following year. For the first six years, the couple rented land, infrastructure, and equipment at market rate from nearby family on a year-to-year basis, all while grazing their cattle in an environmentally sustainable (and financially profitable) way.
Today, they run around 300 head on 1,400 acres, of which 320 acres are owned. The secret to their success? A willingness to try things even though they didn’t know how it would work out.
“I was always willing to fail, knowing that maybe I was going to fail all the way out of agriculture,” said Campbell. “That’s scary, but at the same time, if you’re only willing to do something that’s surefire guaranteed going to work, you’re probably not even going to start.
“I was prepared that this may not work and that I may not end up being a farmer, but I decided I’d give it my best shot.”
Early on, the focus was on learning as much as he could about his new industry, he said. He joined the board of the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association, went through the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders mentorship program, and attended numerous field days and other events.
“I’m really grateful for all of the people who have helped me along the way to become a good farmer and respected in my industry,” said Campbell. “I think that speaks to the community in agriculture that are willing to mentor and teach and support each other.”
His story is an example of how efforts to attract and retain young people in the ag sector are paying dividends, he said.
“They’ve created these programs and funded these things — and look, it’s working. They’re actually successful in developing new leaders and new people in agriculture.”
That’s what drew him to the Outstanding Young Farmers program.
“Because I’m not from agriculture originally, I’m drawn to groups of people in agriculture who are learners — people who are trying to be active in the industry and do more to grow it,” said Campbell. “The Outstanding Young Farmers is very much a circle of people who are wanting to work together and encourage each other and share knowledge, and learn and grow together.”
Having that sort of network is important for any young farmer, he said, but for one who didn’t grow up on a farm, it’s invaluable.
“I didn’t know anyone when I started in agriculture. I didn’t have anyone’s cellphone number I could text if I got into a bind,” said Campbell.
“The people who are in the OYF organization really do feel like a family, so I feel like there’s going to be that support there. But at the same time, these are really top-notch farmers, so to have support from that calibre of people is really valuable.”
And not just on the farming end of things, he added.
“Agriculture is really challenging, and it’s hard on young families. A lot of people involved in OYF are in that same situation, so there are people that are in a similar life stage who can empathize and mentor through that stuff as well.”
But more than that, he said, it’s important to recognize accomplishments.
“It’s not easy to be a young farmer and to grow a farm business, so being able to celebrate success is a really valuable thing to do,” said Campbell.
Outstanding Young Farmers is a four-decade-old national program that recognizes farmers under the age of 40 who exemplify excellence on their own farms and promote agriculture beyond the farm community.
This year’s other Alberta finalists were Russ Van Boom, who runs a seed potato operation in Sturgeon County; and siblings Matthew, Farley, and Zoe Gould, who own Gould Ranching near Consort.
“I’m just so blown away that we were selected. It’s a huge honour to feel so welcomed into the agricultural community,” said Campbell. “This community selecting me really means I’m one of their own, and that’s a really big honour.”
Campbell will be representing Alberta and the Northwest Territories at the national event in Saskatoon in November. And while (like most farmers who go through the program), Campbell doesn’t really view himself as ‘outstanding,’ he said he’s glad he threw his hat in the ring — and hopes other young farmers will think about doing the same next year.
“Farmers are, I think, by nature quite humble and don’t consider themselves outstanding necessarily. They don’t want to compete with other people. But that’s not really what the program is about,” said Campbell. “The program is much more about collaboration and community than it is about competition. That’s why people should get involved in the program — it’s about growing the business of agriculture together.”
– Jennifer Blair was one of the three judges who selected this year’s winner.
