Diamond Willow – Organic Beef

Diamond Willow Range is made up of seven Organic Ranching Families who have been collectively marketing their beef products in Canada for over ten years. We visited these ranchers at what seems like a pivotal moment in the history of the group. Click here to view photos. Demand for organic beef is growing and so is Diamond Willow. Rapid growth can be a challenge for any organization and it was fascinating to hear the confidence and innovative spirit of the ranchers that we met with.

We arrived at Bev and Keith Everts ranch late on Sunday night. Bev had offered us a piece of grass to pitch a tent on beside their bunk house and we gratefully took her up on the offer. The Everts had an eventful weekend and Bev was tired so opted to hit the hay shortly after we arrived but not before making us feel welcome and comfortable by showing us to our camping site. Keith and his “out-laws”, Chris and Gord, came down and sat around the campfire until just after the sun went down. We talked, played guitar and enjoyed a beautiful summer evening. That night, we rolled our sleeping bags out and let the twinkle of the stars and crackling of the fire put us to sleep. In the morning, we were up at dawn and took a 2 hour hike up the ridge on the Everts’ homestead. It was incredibly beautiful and we captured some fabulous photos and footage (see pictures below). That morning, we ate breakfast (thanks Bev and Keith), had some coffee and conducted an interview. Keith took us out to check the cattle and we took off just before lunch.

On the way to Janet and Larry Firths, we stopped at the Diamond Willow Office in Pincher Creek and had a quick chat with Erin. Erin is one of the “Diamond Willow Kids” and is working as an administrator in the office. One of the things that really struck me in all of my conversations with the Diamond Willow Ranchers was a commitment to maintaining the land, ecosystems and landscapes for the next generation. Indeed, many of the ranchers in the group are involved in a land trust that will ensure that the land is not subdivided and fragmented in the future. We arrived at Janet and Larry’s and spent just over an hour chatting in Janet’s beautiful garden. Following the formal interview, we enjoyed some casual conversation and a bit to eat before we said goodbye and travelled to our next destination. After getting lost, finding ourselves and getting lost again, we finally made it to Janet Main’s for our final stop for the day. Janet is the elder of the group – it was humbling to hear her speak to her connection with the land and the animals that graze upon it. An emotional conversation about the scarcity of young farmers and the likely consequences for the landscape made me realize the urgency of the issue. Our aging producer demographic will have devastating impacts when families like Janet’s move on and are no longer there to care for and protect the land. Upward pressure on land values are making ranching and farming in-accessible to young farmer who lack the start-up capital. Further, the reality of today’s agriculture industry is that ranching/farming families are facing declining prices for their products and increasing costs. The math just is not adding up and it hasn’t for some time now. However, ranchers and farmers are innovators by nature and Diamond Willow is testing a promising solution to the crisis in food and agriculture. Theses ranchers have established a model that government and farmers from across the country are now starting to pay close attention to. All in all, our time in this corner of the world left us with a sense of awe – from the beauty of the landscape to the warm hospitality we received, this experience will be one to fondly look back upon. I hope to come back someday soon.

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