The rolling hills around Linden, separated by wild-grassed coulees, tidy farmyards and fence lines running to the horizon, provide the setting for Ribbon Creek Ranch, this year’s winner of the Alberta Beef Producers 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award.
It’s the home of Jerry Baerg, his wife, Dawn, and six children. They raise cattle on land purchased by Jerry’s grandfather in 1972.
At first, the farm was 1,500 acres of mostly cultivated land, growing grain and hay with a small backgrounding operation. Jerry became involved in the early 2000s, bringing with him an enthusiasm for building a viable and sustainable business.
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He pivoted the backgrounding operation into a commercial cattle operation in 2013, sourcing genetics and seedstock from producers who were prioritizing environmental stewardship.
Ribbon Creek has converted some cropland to perennial grass, with trials of annual crops under-seeded with clover. In winter, his cattle graze on the residue of annual crops.
“The cow-calf and the grain farm really complement each other,” he said. “There’s a lot of value in the grain side that you can utilize for the cow-calf side.”
The move to year-round grazing was achieved while saving approximately 320 acres of wild grass, and Baerg has no plans to cultivate the ground. He also wants to preserve wildlife habitat.
“As a God-fearing man, it’s our duty to take care of what we have in the best way we know how,” he said of his farm and Mennonite faith. “We’ve just been handed it, and stewardship to me is exactly what it is. We’re not actually owners here. We are just taking care of things.
“This award isn’t about the biggest operation, it is about stewardship,” he said. “That is what I am trying to do – take care of things and work together with nature. Me and my family are honoured. I feel really humbled.”
