The local Marshman families of Redland and Rockyford, who have been farming for over 100 years were honoured last week.
They were honoured Tuesday, August 18 in Lethbridge as recipients of the Century Farm and Ranch Award. The Marshmans received 2 bronze plaques to commemorate this significant milestone as they still own both the paternal (1909) and maternal (1912) original land within their farms. This year there are 58 families who are being recognized across the province for having met this milestone.
Lloyd Marshman, who owns the farm in Redland said “My great-grandfather came up from eastern Washington in 1912 and bought the half section. When he died, the land passed on to my grandmother, then my dad (Merle) took it over and then I took it over about 25 years ago. Although I still own it, my son (Steve) now farms it, I run the cattle. Steve will be the fifth generation to own this land,” Marshman said, continuing by saying that he hopes the farm will get passed down to the sixth generation in about 20 years. Marshman explained to the Mail that the farm has been cattle and grain for the entire 103 years it has been in the family.
When the family began farming in the Redland and Rockyford area the surrounding areas were not what they are today. “When we first started farming here, Drumheller was just some coal mines, Carbon was coal mines. There was no Beiseker, there was no Rockyford, there was no Acme. My grandfather and great-grandfather hauled their grain all the way to Crossfield and guess what? We are back to hauling it to Crossfield again,” Marshman said with a chuckle. “There are no elevators in the towns anymore. There are a lot of changes. When I was a kid there were steam engines on the tracks. We had cars but Grandpa still did some work with horses,” he recalls. “I was too little to do much but I did ride on the wagon. That was kind of fun,” he said.
At the award ceremony, Merle, Lloyd’s father, accepted the award for Lloyd’s brother Gerald who owns the original land by Rockyford.
The Marshman lands have grown as well as the family. Lloyd’s sister-in-law Mary (Dwayne 1954-2012) and brother Gerald are still farming as well as his son Steve (Jess) and Mary’s daughter Kim (Ben Salt).
Lloyd’s daughter Shelly (Clay Neal) lives in Rockyford and has revived the horse tradition. His sisters Arlene (Calgary) and Rachel (Wayne Orsten, Airdrie) along with Andrea and Michelle Orsten help Merle (who now lives in Rockyford) with the large farm garden at Gerald’s. Mary’s son Craig lives in Rockyford and her daughter Kathy (Lance Herriot) lives in Strathmore.
