OWL RIVER - A farm family in the Owl River area of Lac La Biche County is being celebrated for a century of work on the land.
Recently, Todd Thompson, a third-generation farmer from the Owl River area, received the Lac La Biche County 100 Year Farm Family Award on behalf of the Thompson family.
The municipal award recognizes farms that have been in operation on the same land for a century or longer. The Thompson farm currently grows mostly alfalfa, hay, and oats on roughly 1,200 acres of land that has been in the family since the 1920s.
Todd, who also runs an outfitting business called North Shore Outfitters, enjoys carrying on the family tradition of farming.
“I really like the land…being on the land…and fresh air,” he told Lakeland This Week. “It’s a challenge.”
Thompson said he feels proud to get the award on behalf of 100 years of family tradition. He appreciates the significance of the recognition, as it recognizes the tremendous amount of hard work that went into the property over the decades and generations.
The history of the Thompson farm dates back to 1924 and Todd’s grandfather Frank Thompson. Originally from the Black Diamond and Turner Valley area of southern Alberta, he relocated to Owl River, when he was just 17, putting down roots on unfarmed land on the northern shores of Lac La Biche lake.
It was the place he chose to “start a future” said his grandson 100 years later, explaining that the farming legacy began with bare land and lots of hard work.
“When my grandfather come here, there wasn’t one field, so everything was done pretty much by hand…no equipment,” Todd said.
Frank’s son, Andy – Todd’s dad – was a second-generation farmer who was also a local municipal council member in the 1990s and early 2000s. Along with the farming tradition, Todd and his brother Tim also followed in their dad’s political footsteps, also holding municipal positions on past councils.
Helping to celebrate the recognition, more than 100 family members, friends, and neighbours took part in an award ceremony and barbecue hosted by Lac La Biche County and held at the Thompson farm. The award was presented by Lac La Biche County councillor Sterling Johnson and Fort-McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean.
Having the provincial representative who is also the Alberta’s Energy Minister was a highlight, said Thompson.
“It was nice to see him,” he said.
Jihad Moghrabi, a spokesperson for Lac La Biche County, said both the municipality and the Government of Alberta has recognized the Thompson family for 100 years of farming in the region with separate but similar awards.
The Alberta Century Farm and Ranch Award has been given annually since 1993. To date, 2077 farm families have received the provincial recognition.
Moghrabi said the municipal award is a good way of acknowledging the hard work and dedication of area farmers.
“It’s always great to recognize our agricultural producers for all the work they do to put food on the table for everyone, both locally and provincially - especially when a family has shown such an impressive, long-standing dedication to agricultural tradition, like the Thompson family,” Moghrabi stated.
