The Beck Family are Cypress County's Farm Family of the Year for 2023. From left: - Dannica , Josh, Jennifer, Jase, Shay, Lori and Brent. (Photo Courtesy Cypress County)

By Chris Brown

Beck family named Cypress County Farm Family of the Year

Jul 9, 2023 | 8:00 AM

DUNMORE, AB – A local family with 100 years of history in the hamlets of Hilda and Schuler is being honoured by Cypress County.

The Beck family, with its varied history in many facets of the agriculture world, is the 2023 Cypress County Farm Family of the Year. The family was nominated two separate times by their peers, not just for being a fourth-generation operation but also for showing leadership, innovation, and community spirit, according to the county.

“We want to leave a legacy for our family and for the community, and not leave a liability that they have to clean up,” said Josh Beck, who along with wife Jennifer and kids Dannica, Jase, and Shay make Hilda the home of Beck Family Farms. “We’re trying to do the best we can.”

It was 1923 when Fredrick Beck began a mixed cattle and grain farm in Schuler. Son Gordon and his wife Josephine ran a hardware store, lumber yard and machinery dealership in Schuler and sat on plenty of boards and community associations. They eventually passed the farm down to Brent and Lori. A lifetime member of the Medicine Hat Oilmen’s Association, Brent was also a director on the 11-34 seed plant.

These days Josh is on the county’s Agricultural Services Board, Jennifer is on parent council and the community association, and the whole family is active in 4-H. Josh is also director of the BT Grazing Association and past president of the Hilda Water Co-op, among other commitments.

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The family’s humble beginnings are still standing.

“The original shop (Fredrick) built is still there,” says Josh. “The barn he built is still there. We’ve kind of carried on from there. It’s just what you do, stay active.”

In recent years managing droughts and keeping precious soil in good condition has proved a large challenge. The family gives credit where credit’s due for a number of innovations.

“Our area, there’s a lot of leaders,” Josh says. “We’re watching what they’re doing and following a little bit, but we are doing some stuff that other people haven’t, trying to use cover crops… to get our soils back into shape. Our area is progressive in that way; we’re all working together to figure this thing out.”

This isn’t the first award for the Beck family this year. At the Farming Smarter Conference in February, Josh won the Orville Yanke Award for excellence in agriculture and conservation efforts in southern Alberta. As well, as recipients of the county award the Becks will also receive the BMO Farm Family Award from the Calgary Stampede.

The Becks will receive their award from Cypress County at the Medicine Hat & Stampede later this month.