Edmonton/Calgary corrider?

[cowman]

In one of the local weeklies they had an article about how the city of Red Deer and Red Deer County have joined up to promote their area for business and I guess population growth. Apparently the people along the corrider have a considerably higher income than anywhere else in North America. And yet in Red Deer County the main agricultural business is still cattle! Now somehow or other that makes no sense to me? You would think it would almost be impossible to raise cattle on this high priced land?
Of course we are starting to see a lot of changes and more market gardens, berry production, greenhouses etc. I think the limiting factor is a lack of water? And also the pressure of rich suburbanites buying up land for pleasure? The days when you can run cows on this good land(and expect to make any money) are fast coming to an end?
And maybe that is a good thing? Cows can be pretty destructive to the trees and water. Maybe get them the hell out and let people enjoy the countryside?

[whiteface]

Sit on you land as an investment cowman and keep you cows for "pleasure." Just something to do until the urbanites come and give you the retirement you want off your land. I love my cows but they just barely manage to pay for themselves in a good year and are definatly a losing proposition in a bad year. My husband has a "real" job so we don't starve but won't turn one penny over to those cows, he tells them to work or die. Our place was mine before we got married and I came from B.C. to cattle country because I loved this lifestyle. Along highway 2, cattle don't pay for this lifestyle but my land has doubled and half again as much in only 7 years!!! Great for me on this place because I got it back then. Poor me now because I can't afford any more land in this area, certainly not for raising cattle, even "high priced" brutes like mine. Honestly, there is just about nothing else that I could do as well at as the business I do because I like it this much. Like you cowman, I'm up at 5:00am, watching the sunrise, checking for new babies,listening to the birds instead of loud city neighbors and traffic and loving the view of happy cows munching grass ( when there is grass ) off my deck. I don't know if I'll be in it forever, but I'm enjoying as much as I can right now instead of being in an office and an apartment and not being able to make it paycheck to paycheck either. In Red Deer county you'd better believe people are coming for your land, your cows may not make you any money but your dirt that keeps flying away in the wind is gold to city people looking to escape. Enjoy!!

[cakadu]

Cowman, cows are destructive only if they are allowed to be. You can fence them off of sensitive areas and keep them away from the trees - or allow access only at particular times. Grass in treed areas can be used to extend the grazing season, provided it is done at the right time. The cows can be moved in and out relatively quickly and not left to do any damage.

The land price is a "book" value - finding someone to pay you that price is an entirely different story. There has been lots of land for sale recently and some of it has moved and some of it hasn't. The high price isn't realized until the land is sold.

There is no better investment than land because no matter what you do, you cannot make more of it. It is a finite resource and once we take it out of production or conservation, it is lost to us forever.

This idea of the City and County working together could be a good one if it is handled properly. The land use issues alone are going to be enough to wrangle when you consider you 've got the competing interests of commerce - industrial and other goods and services, recreation, conservation and farming. Factor into that the water issue and you're going to see a delicate balancing act that will have to be looked at from both the short term gain and long term sustainability and viability perspectives.

Just throwing open the "doors" so to speak with no consideration for the long term effects could have very serious consequences. Yes, to develop the area is a great idea, so long as it is done with consideration to as many of the consequences of our decisions as possible.

[cswilson]

Actually some of the most livestock damage u will see is on acreages-you know the pasture with horses-there is feed all the time but the grazing is continuous year round. Some of the best land stewardship is practiced by ranchers-myself included of which I am proud of. Glad I live in real ranch country-no urban sprawl,oil revenue,absurd land appreciation etc. to muddle things. In northern Sask. your cows are your business and are what keeps you in business.