Bear Lake area ranchers this year’s County Farm Family

A local rancher says his family is very honoured to be the 2019 County of Grande Prairie Farm Family of the Year.
 
Todd and Lexi Balisky and their four kids, Emma, Luke, Heidi, and Wyatt, operate a 400-head cattle ranch in the Bear Lake area.
 
Todd says he is also grateful to all the people in their lives that have helped them get this far.
 
“Well, our parents helped us, teach us, (we) had people lead us in many different ways. Then there’s also the Ag. Department, of course, who established this award in honour of lots of farm families.”
 
The Baliskys are also involved with various community and industry groups.
 
Todd says they want to see agriculture in the Peace stay strong.
  
“Different programs help promote it, like the (Peace Country) Beef Congress and other community things, church groups, and camps, keep people strengthened.”
 
He adds his ranch is not far from where his grandfather homesteaded in 1912.
 
“Grandpa George walked in on the Edson Trail and homesteaded just a mile north of us. When he walked in there, it was just open prairie. He was able to homestead there. He married Nellie, my grandma, a couple of years later. He went back to North Dakota to bring her up here. They started their life and raised 10 kids there.”
 
He adds the original homestead is still in the family. His sister and brother-in-law, Lynn and Albrecht Scheidegger, operate a grain and oilseed farm at that location.
 
The Balisky’s will be saluted at the Foster’s Peace Country Classic Agri-Show March 7 to 9 at Evergreen Park.