History is Where You Stand
Part 8: Agriculture
Agriculture has always been at the heart of the Peace Region's economy. In the days since the homesteaders first broke the land, the crops have changed somewhat. Canola, shown in this photo, is a relative newcomer to the region and has replaced some of the traditional grain crops. Beekeeping, once a major industry, has shown a serious decline in recent years. Exotic livestock such as bison and reindeer have taken their place alongside the familiar Herford cattle in the rich pasturelands. Grains are still the mainstay of local agriculture and the region continues to ship large quantities of high quality wheat, barley and oats to world markets.
Images from the BC Archives collection can be found following these articles. Some articles have internal links to other images relating to agriculture in the Peace country. 8-01: What is a Farmer?
8-02: The Land Formation -- Basis of our Agriculture
8-03: Agriculture in the Peace -- Past, Present and Future
8-04: Agricultural Possibilities of the Peace [Harry Giles]
8-05: The Reverend John Gough Brick
8-06: Hector Tremblay -- Trailmaker
8-07: The Story of the Tremblay Family
8-08: Alex Monkman -- Experimental Variety Trials
8-09: The Beatties of Gold Bar
8-10: The Millers of Rolla
8-11: The Shaftesbury Settlement
8-12: Fort St. John -- Fur Trade to Farming
8-13: Agriculture begins around Dawson Creek
8-14: Early Agriculture along the Hart Highway
8-15: The Tate Creek Development Company
8-16: Tate Creek Farmers Institute [Report for 1949]
8-17: Hedwig Schoen [Interview]
8-18: Sudeten Settlement Report for 1943
8-19: Sudeten Settlement Statistics for Hogs and Cattle, 1943
8-20: The Sudeten Settlement at Tupper
8-21: Sudeten Settlement Crop Report for 1943
8-22: The Baldonnel Illustration Station
8-23: Fairview Agricultural and Vocational College
8-24: The First Organized Farm Groups in the Peace
8-25: District 'J' of the Farmers' Institute
8-26: The United Grain Growers in Dawson Creek
8-27: The Peace River Block -- its Origins
8-28: Pioneers into the Peace District
8-29: Agriculture in the North Peace (1956)
8-30: Sunset Prairie -- the Early Days
8-31: Agriculture in the Peace River District
8-32: The Peace River Country -- B.C.'s Bread Basket
8-33: The Peace River District Progresses
8-34: Threshing with Engine and Separator
8-35: Quick Historical Facts about the Peace Region
8-36: Beatton River Women's Institute -- early North Peace days
8-37: Early Gardening on the Halfway River Flats
8-38: Letter from RJ Ogilvie to WD Albright, 1922
8-39: 100 Years of Agriculture around Fort St. John
8-40: The Early Settlers of the Lake View District
8-41: Agriculture in the Montney Area
8-42: The North Pine W.I. -- The Early Settlers
8-44: The West Saskatoon (Kilkerran) District
8-45: Some Early Records of Grain Yields (1926)
8-46: The Peace River District of BC Horticultural Society
8-47: The Federal Ranch on the Halfway River
8-48: Warne McKenzie Talks about the Spirit River Trail
8-49: The Gundy Ranch at Tate Creek
8-50: Ted Bartsch -- Remembering the Gundy Ranch
8-51: Harry Giles, Journalist
8-52: Milestones in the History of Peace River Town
8-53: The Dairy Industry and Rural Electrification
8-54: Beef Cattle Production, 1970
8-55: Livestock Records, 1975
8-56: The Famous Thirty-Six-Horse Team
8-57: Early Horse-History in the Peace
8-58: The Appaloosa in the Peace
8-59: Wilde and Lawless Rodeos and other Early Stampedes
8-60: Problems Related to Raising Livestock in the Peace
8-61: Getting a Water Supply for Livestock
8-62: Brucellosis Outbreak after a Herd Enhancement Program
8-63: The Dairy Industry in and around Dawson Creek
8-64: The Meat Packing Business -- Lawrence Meats
8-65: Northern Meats Ltd.
8-66: The Creamery at Riley's Crossing
8-67: All Part of Running the First Creamery
8-68: Pioneer Butter Making Techniques
8-69: Pioneer Cheese Making Methods
8-70: Henry Bentley Talks about the Livestock Business
8-71: W.D. McFarlane, Stockman and Horse Breeder
8-72: Pat Burns and the Pine Valley Cattle project
8-73: More about Pat Burns and the Pine Valley Cattle project
8-74: Phil Tompkins, Big-time Rancher
8-75: Ivor Johnson -- Ranching on the Pine River
8-76: Lloyd Bentley, Dawson Creek Rancher
8-77: Fenton A. "Slim" Gooding
8-78: Alberta Wheat Pool Elevators
8-80: Livestock Improvement in the Progress Area
Supplement: The Farm Crisis of 1996 & 1997
Recent History - 1998
BN8-01: Farmers Optimistic for Early Harvest (July 1998)
BN8-02: Problems with the Hemp Crop in 1998
BN8-03: Farm Crisis Committee Disbands
BN8-04: Financial Help On the Way
BN8-05: Food to be a Sexy Subject
BN8-06: Wheat Board Candidates split on Marketing
BN8-07: Garnet Berge Wins Barley Prize, 1998
Recent History - 1999
BN08-08: Forage AGM informative and fun
BN08-10: 4-H Club Elects Executive
BN08-11: Women's Institute Week
BN08-12: Ruth Potter: Faithful W.I. Member
BN08-13: More Aid Money for Farmers
BN08-14: Overall Farm Family Incomes healthy in 1996
BN08-15: Wheat Board -- cheaper grain transportation sought
BN08-16: Grain Handling Strike hurts local elevators
BN08-17: All are winners in 4-H Public Speaking program
BN08-18: Bull Sale draws large crowd and good prices
BN08-19: Agriculture in the Classroom program
BN08-20: Hemp Trials to Continue
BN08-21: Antique Tractors Pull Crowd
BN08-22: Beekeeping Helps the Crops
BN08-23: Sheep are not a Ba-a-ad Business
BN08-24: New Weeds Invade the Peace
BN08-25: New Rail Agreement Speeds Grain Shipments
BN08-26: Farmers Face Another Bleak Year
BN08-28: Cargill Grain Elevator Closes in Dawson Creek
BN08-29: Crisis in Farming -- this time it's worse
BN08-30: Weather Stings Beekeepers
BN08-31: Early harvest results below average
BN08-32: Big Sheep Sale in Dawson Creek in September
BN08-33: Evans Extends Farm Insurance
BN08-34: Llots to llike in llamas
BN08-35: Reindeer in the Peace
BN08-36: Provincial Agriculture Committee visits Fort St. John
BN08-37: Awards for 4-H members
BN08-38: Wheat yields in Peace good
BN08-39: Processing wool locally a good idea
Recent History - 2000
BN08-40: MP's to examine farm crisis in Peace
BN08-41: Farmers frustrated -- tell Reform MP's
BN08-42: Brian Haddow wins place in Proven Seed book
BN08-43: Fall Fair group hoping to build Agriplex
BN08-44: Nick Parsons on his way to see Jean Chretien
BN08-45: Farmers ask Ottawa for transportation help
BN08-50: Explosion of Canola varieties
BN08-51: Wheat Board tries new ways to sell farm produce
BN08-52: Changes to Whole Farm Insurance program
BN08-53: Beekeepers Spring into Action
BN08-54: 4-H Hands across the border
BN08-55: Organic Certification not easy to get
BN08-56: New research facility opens at Beaverlodge
BN08-57: Goals behind Organic Farming
BN08-58: Early snowfall flattens crops
BN08-59: High profile on local beef scene
BN08-60: Berge continues family tradition
BN08-61: Sheep sale getting attention
BN08-62: Farmers face difficult harvest and poor crop quality
BN08-63: Organic Beef producers sell in open market
BN08-64: Pickseed gets Gino Morrone with UGG plant
BN08-65: Poor harvest hurts farmers again
BN08-66: No New Money for Area Farmers
BN08-67: Farmers Welcome New Grain Elevator
BN08-68: Peace Farmers to get $5.25 Million
BN08-69: An Old-Fashioned Harvest
Recent History - 2002 & 2003
BN08-70: Ethanol Conference Optimistic
BN08-71: Harvest looks encouraging
BN08-72: Harvest nearly complete
BN08-73: Sheep Sale 2003 better than expected
BN08-74: Cattle Prices Rise
Recent History, 2004 - 2005
BN08-75: Historic agreement on Fall Fair and Rodeo
BN08-76: Tender Beef Co-Op seeking more members
BN08-77: Tender Beef Co-Op close to securing funding
BN08-78: 4-H Members Know Their Beef
BN08-79: Good harvest -- low prices
BC ARCHIVES PHOTOS: Click on the image to see a larger picture and on the Call Number more information about it. All these images are the property of the BCArchives and are not to be reproduced without permission.
A Sudeten family in the Tomslake area shortly after their arrival as refugees from Europe. These city people were expected to turn bush and swamp into farms -- and did. Image courtesy BC Archives -- Call Number B-00254
Stuper's threshing machine at Cherry Point, Alberta. The photo dates from 1934. Image courtesy BC Archives -- Call Number D-00840
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