Standing tall as a protector of Cochrane the Man of Vision statue serves as a reminder of the important and continuing role agriculture plays in the Cochrane area and the province.
The statue is named after one of the Town's pivotal historical figures Clarence Copithorne. The cowboy served as the minister of highways and was a member of one of the original families to settle and farm in the area.
Copithorne helped grow the city while ensuring Cochrane never forgot its important ties to agriculture.
The sculpture is located on a rocky bluff overlooking the site of the original buildings of Cochrane Ranche. This location was declared a historic site in 1976— The sculpture, depicting a cowboy on his horse, commemorates the crucial role of cow-punchers and ranch-hands played in Alberta's early economic development.
The Cochrane Ranche was the first attempt at large-scale ranching in the province. The steps taken by the Ranche in the 1880s opened the door to the successful cattle industry in Alberta that continues to thrive.
That proud agriculture tradition is still upheld in the Cochrane area.
Spring is in the air and Alberta farmers are gearing up for seeding season while many Alberta Beef Producers are in the midst of calving season.
This year however the calves will be greeted by a whole new world— one that is ruled by the COVID-19 pandemic and has left many of us reeling as we adjust to our new normal.
Thankfully farmers and ranchers have been working hard and remained committed to ensuring they are able to get food from the farm to our plates.
They are one of the many unsung heroes of the pandemic.
Our supply chain remains unbroken because of their dedication to their craft— often a practice that spans generations.
Maintaining the supply chain will be critical during the pandemic and this is why agricultural producers have been declared an essential service across Canada.
The actions taken by the federal and provincial governments show us how important farmers and ranchers are in ensuring our supply chain remains unbroken and strong.
As an essential service, the industry has not really seen a big change in terms of the supply chain— the biggest transition has been how business is conducted.
Auctions have been moved online and supplies are being picked up using social distancing to ensure our agriculture producers stay safe.
Farmers will begin growing the grains that will feed us in the months to come and they will face challenges in ensuring they have the supports they need.
While their day-to-day lives remain largely unaffected by COVID-19 due to the busy seeding and calving season, agricultural producers may face challenges in the coming months if public health measures remain in place.
It is more important to support our local agricultural producers.
To quote local rancher and auctioneer Rod McLeod, “You can’t put a ranching or cattle operation on hold for three months or four months— It has to continue.”
