Twenty Alberta farm families were honoured at the Calgary Stampede with 2018 BMO Farm Family Awards on Monday, July 9.

Representing the M.D. of Foothills was the Campbell family of Black Diamond who own and operate Tullichewan Ranch.

Manager of the Ranch, Tony Campbell, is one of seven sons of John and Elizabeth Campbell who started out the operation as a pig farm in 1955, and shifted to cattle in the 1960's.

Campbell says the ranch name comes from their Scottish roots.

"Tullichewan was the name of the Campbell family castle in Scotland that no longer exists. My great-grandfather and his brother were joint lairds of Tullichewan."

Campbell and his six brothers, Neal, John Jr., William, Andrew, Mathew and Gordon, run the company which oversees the Ranch.

His son, Ben Campbell, runs the ranch and says, they sold the cows last fall and have started running yearlings.

"My uncle John and I bought all the yearlings this year. We're in the stage of transferring the ranch to the next generation."

Ben Campbell leases land from the Tullichewan Ranch for a company he started with his family to raise grass-fed beef, chicken, and pork.

He's also heavily involved in the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association, and carries on the Ranch's tradition of environmental stewardship with rotational grazing practices.

The 2018 Farm Families were treated to brunch at the BMO Centre where they were presented with a personalized gate sign, and then were off to take in the Calgary Stampede Rodeo.

 

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