Western Irrigation District Memories – Marvin & Elaine Gill

By John Godsman Times Contributor

Marvin’s paternal grandparents, Sophia and Emmanuel Gill, homesteaded near Leader, Sask., while his maternal grandparents, Carl and Elizabeth Brady, homesteaded near Lemsford, Sask.
Gill’s parents Herbert and Viola Gill operated the homestad farm near Leader when he was born. The family subsequently moved to Medicine Hat, where Marvin attended school through Grade 12. He then attended the University of Calgary, and after graduating with a B.Mus., studied agriculture at Olds College.
Elaine’s grandparents, Joseph and Lydia Schmalz, and Christoph and Caroline Weiss, homesteaded near Shellbrook, Sask. where Elaine was born. Her parents were Robert and Selma Weiss. She studied piano throughout her early years, including teaching other students. After graduating from high school, she worked for the Bank of Montreal, Canada’s Department of National Defence and the RCMP.
Marvin and Elaine’s shared love of music brought them together in Edmonton, where Marvin played with an orchestra, and Elaine sang with the choir at a Christmas performance. They were married in October 1978 at Shellbrook, before returning to Calgary to live and work.
In 1998, Marvin found the pull of farming to be overwhelming, and with Elaine and other family members, founded Bumbleberry Orchards at the junction of Highway 817 and Namaka Road. That first spring, they planted over 35 acres of fruit trees and berries, including over 20,000 raspberry canes and 30,000 Saskatoon trees. Bumbleberry Orchards quickly became a popular U-pick operation, and as the yields grew, they sold fresh berries at farmers’ markets.
Around 2004, the Alberta government wanted to develop an estate wine industry, and Marvin and Elaine were issued the first Class E manufacturers license the following year, marking the birth of Field Stone Fruit Wines.
When they first purchased their land in 1998, the property had inactive irrigation rights although there was a large dugout 300 ft. long, 100 ft. wide and 25 ft. deep. Marvin and Elaine were early adopters of drip irrigation, which can be over 90 per cent efficient, and they would not be able to grow the variety of fruits and berries they do without reliable access to water. Their investments in irrigation efficiency paid off during dry years like 2001, when they connected to the main A Canal. Their current drip irrigation system, in use for the past 15 years, uses a total of 150,000 feet of hose, with each row having its own dripline.