ATHABASCA - Generations of local farmers descended on the Athabasca Agriplex Hall for the annual Harvest Dinner and Dance, put on by the Athabasca and District Agricultural Society Nov. 4.
The dinner, which featured a live and silent auction as well as music from local cover band Two Bad Apples, sold out its 200-plus tickets after another successful harvest.
“The night went great, we had a sold-out crowd and a really fun atmosphere,” said ag society president Camille Wallach. “It’s important to just celebrate as a community, it’s great for our mental health, great to visit with your neighbours, and just come together and enjoy it.”
A major part of the evening was the “50 Years of Farming Award,” which celebrated local farmers who’ve been in the area for, you guessed it, 50 years. Besides the recognition, it’s a chance for some of the old hands to pass along words of wisdom to the new generation.
“It’s a very interesting experience to spend the evening with our family,” said Melvin Gunderson, an Athabasca County farmer who’s spent his whole life in the region and was one of the three families to receive the award.
Gunderson said it cost him $1,500 to purchase his lot, which came at a point in his life when he made just a handful of dollars a day. While he was thankful for the opportunities he received throughout his life, he remarked on the difficulties faced by the younger generation, including his grandson.
“It’s very hard for the young people, everything costs so much money now. Stuff has gone up, when I started, I made $6 a day, so wages are different now,” said Gunderson.
“I would tell the young guys now to save money, work hard, it’ll work out. My grandson is trying to start up now and it’s hard for him, he has to work out on the pipelines to make it work.”
Wallach emphasized how important it was is recognize the work put into the community by the local farmers, and by the men and women who have spent their lives making Athabasca the place it is now.
“We open nominations every year, and it’s not like (farmers) tend to retire,” said Wallach with a laugh. “It’s important to recognize the core role that agriculture plays in the community, (the local farmers) are a large part of the volunteer base, and once people move off the farm and into town, they continue to serve their community in that capacity.”
On the rise
The Athabasca and District Ag Society has been experiencing a small resurgence under the current board, debuting new events including the “Hey Athabasca, Show Us Your Meat!” barbeque contest, and a youth rodeo to get youngsters involved in the sport. The society will also be hosting junior events and rodeo clinics throughout the winter.
A long-term project for the group is the return of rodeo to Athabasca — Wallach said the society is hoping to phase it in bit by bit.
“Because we have the indoor arena, as soon as we can start to buy equipment like chutes or stuff for roping events, we’ll be bringing the indoor events back. From there we’ll slowly build up to the full deal,” said Wallach during a Nov. 10 follow-up.
“There’s been a real push from the community, people have approached us about hosting it. As the ag society becomes more active, we want to bring back those events that we hosted in the past,” said Wallach.
