Bette Mitchell (in white) hosted the Rootstock Fundraiser at her family’s ranch this summer, bringing together city folk and farmers for a meal and conversations about how food is produced.
Photo: Alexis Kienlen
A whale-watching expedition was a highlight for the Lacombe 4-H club and its Cape Breton sister club on their Club to Club Exchange.
Photo: Courtesy Karyn Salsbury
The Newell Foodgrains Growing Project was one of three dozen held in Alberta this year. The growing projects raise millions annually for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Photo: Andre Visscher
The Golden Circle 4-H Club uses glow-in-the-dark Hula Hoops for a poi performance.
Photo: Golden Prairie 4-H Club
Wade Bendfeld and wife Lisa at the inaugural meeting of the newly formed provincial association for hops growers.
Photo: Alberta Hop Producers Association
History Wrangler’ Rob Lennard asked Alberta ranchers to share the stories behind their cattle brands as part of Canada’s 150th celebrations.
Photo: Supplied
Lois Schultz of the Coal Lake Light Horse 4-H club won top honours at this year’s Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture’s national competition with an inspirational speech on reducing food waste.
Photo: Supplied
Fifth-generation rancher and super volunteer David Sibbald with wife Mary Beth and sons Dylan and Adam at the family ranch near Cochrane.
Photo: Triple S Red Angus
This section of our website is called Heartland but it could be called Snapshots — for it is only able to offer glimpses of a few of the people who enrich the province’s farm community.
Some devote their time and energy to raise funds for a good cause in their hometown or communities on the other side of the world. Some inspire us with their creativity or their words. Others contribute uncounted hours to organizations that benefit everyone in their farming sector, offer eye-opening opportunities to young people, or build bridges to the wider community.
Here are some of the people profiled on these pages in 2017. They are just a few examples of the many, many folks who are the foundation of rural Alberta. — Glenn Cheater, Alberta Farmer editor, [email protected].
