A family farm committed to land stewardship
By Annie Duncan
Rosana Farms, owned and operated by Robin and Brenda Walde and their three children, is a family farm located just south of Kindersley that prides itself in its land stewardship.
Robin and Brenda were both raised on a farm, so when they were married in 1995, they made their home near Robin’s great grandfather’s original homestead and named their farm after the Rosana School District, where Robin’s father, Art Walde, went to school.
Robin Walde is pictured sitting in his combine as he does necessary maintenance for this years harvest. PHOTO BY ANNIE DUNCAN
“It’s in my best interest, as a farmer, to treat the land as best I can for the generation of farmers that come after me. If I ruin it now, there’s nothing for me to pass on,” explains Robin.
Ever since he was a young kid, Robin always wanted to be a farmer and purchased his first piece of land at the age of 17. Now he runs a successful farm with roughly 22,000 acres of working land filled with wheat, lentils, canola, and durum.
“Farming is a way of life,” says Walde.
Since 2013, the Walde family has trucked out a shipment of their lentils to British Columbia to donate to Fraser Valley Gleaners Society, a not-for-profit charity that prepares fresh food into dried soup mixes that are distributed to developing countries with shortages of food.
“My passion is feeding the world,” says Robin.
The family has trucked seven loads of lentils since then as a tribute to Robin’s late father, who always dreamed of providing lentils to Fraser Valley Gleaners.
While Robin manages the farm’s day-to-day operations, Brenda manages the finances and business operations. Their daughter Payton works with their equine friends as an equine therapist and helps with administration work. The youngest of their three, Devin, plays one of the more significant roles in the business as he has been an active part of the business since he was able to walk and is now considered Robin’s second in command.
Robin explains that they are just over a third of the way done their harvest, having completed their lentil and wheat crops. They expect to produce an average to above average yield.
More photos by Annie Duncan, click for larger images
