Local family wins award
News
Posted 1 month ago
Josh Chalmers
Special to the Standard
Farming can be thankless work with its long hours, back-breaking labour, and reliance on the weather, but for one Wheatland County family the Calgary Stampede brought a nice reward.
The family was honoured during Stampede week in Calgary as the Wheatland County winner of this years' BMO Farm Family Award.
"I'm a little bit humbled," said John Douglas Clark. "It's great, I don't know if we deserve all this."
The Clarks have been ranching in the Crowfoot Creek area for five generations, with their 2,000-acre plot headed by John and his wife Susan, 14 kilometres southwest of Hussar. The current plot of land, which the Clarks have owned since 1983, is about 13 kilometres north of where the family got their start.
John describes it as a small mixed farming operation with about 120 cattle and 75 sheep. He also harvests hay and his wife runs a wool shop and spinning club. While the eldest Clarks are the mainstays, they get help from son Wes and wife Caroline, as well as their daughter Lisa and her husband Todd Sauve.
John goes by Doug seeing as how he is the fourth generation of John Clark, with son John Wesley and grandson John Evan carrying on the namesake. The family is one of Wheatland's oldest farm families with the original John Clark settling in the area in 1883.
"The JC Brand that I have was first registered in the Northwest Territories book," said John.
As winners of the award the family received a plaque, a visit with dignitaries, such as the provincial Minister of Agriculture and Stampede royalty, as well as free parking and tickets to the rodeo.
"We are proud to recognize families who uphold the traditions of the past while helping the province's ongoing economic growth," said Dr. David Chalack president and chairman of the board for the Calgary Stampede in a press release. The Clarks were one of 16 families to be honoured from across Alberta.
"These families are outstanding examples of how far farm management has come and the tremendous contributions they make to the Alberta economy," said Bill Hogg Vice President Alberta/NWT Commercial District BMO Bank of Montreal in a press release.
All the families got to visit at a morning breakfast where some of their notable accomplishments were on display.
"I can't say enough for the people that put it on, they did a lot of work," said John.
Of course farming never stops in the summer, and he had to pull himself away from bailing in order to attend the awards.
"It's a pretty good year going," said John. "The hay crops are probably the best they've ever been." The Clarks were nominated, like all of the recipients, by the Alberta Agricultural Services Board and were notified of the honour in late spring.
