Farming family honoured

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

The Praeker family has been farming on their land for almost 100 years and their commitment to agriculture and the community was rewarded on July 11.
Herman and Barb Praeker and their five children were honoured during the BMO Farm Family Awards, along with 16 other farming families, at the Calgary Stampede. The families were treated to a reception and a brunch, where they were greeted by Oneil Carlier, Alberta Minister for Agriculture and Forestry.
The Praekers were nominated for the award by Wheatland County.
“We are all very honoured,” said Herman Praeker, head of the Praeker family farm. “My two sons, Cole and Francis, actually farm with me. They have kind of their own operations already. And both my daughters … they drive combine for me. They help with the cattle and stuff.”
The most rewarding aspect of farming for Herman is that his family gets to work alongside him and he gets to pass on the family farm to them. Even through hard economical times, the family has stuck together because of their passion for agriculture and Herman is proud of them.
The Praeker family farm all started when Herman’s grandfather – also named Herman – moved to Canada from Iowa in 1911 with two cousins. He saw an ad in the newspaper for land located 11 miles east and three miles south of Strathmore and bought it some time after. In 1918, his name was officially signed on the land title.
The current Herman, the third child out of seven, started helping his own father when he was young and credited his mother as a driving force for the farm. She would drive the combine and she introduced dairy cows to the farm. These cows were eventually sold when Herman and Barb began irrigating, but they kept the 300 beef cattle they own together with their sons.
The Praeker’s grow malt barley, spring wheat, canola and field peas in a four-year rotation.
One of the stipulations with the award is the family must be involved in the community; and the Preaker’s commitment to their community of Crowfoot meets that stipulation. The family has been heavily involved with the upkeep of the baseball diamonds, and Barb is part of the ladies club.
The BMO Farm Family Award is awarded to southern Alberta farm families in recognition of their dedication to agriculture and their community. It also helps to promote urban and rural relationships.