History of Agriculture in the East Kootenay

The History of Agriculture in the East Kootenay project tells the stories of local ranch families and how the development of each operation reflected the social and political times. Ranching today faces some unique challenges and understanding their historical context will help lead to their resolution.

One of the reasons Lee asked me to work on the History of Agriculture project was because he knew I had been raised on a farm in Central Alberta and he assumed that I understood some of the issues that surround the agricultural industry. I thought I did when I began, but the more I learned about it, the more I realized its complexities.

I thought, when I began, that I was just going to be documenting chronological events in the lives of ranch families. But in reality, little that affected the families that were involved in the agricultural industry happened in a vacuum. For example, many ranchers bought their first tractor in the 1950s, a purchase that revolutionized their operations. The mechanization of agriculture was only made possible through the industrialization created by WWII and the economic boom of the era that followed.

One of the lessons that I have learned through my work on this project is that through documenting and examining the events of the past, we gain an understanding of what is happening in the present. If there are problems we would like to solve now—and there usually are—it is important to understand their history before we can find solutions. The more we understand, the more interested we become in working together to resolve present challenges.

Kathy McCauley