We were married in 1975, the next year Bill graduated with distinction from the Agricultural College in Olds, Alberta.  From there we  operated his parents' family hog farm.

We established our own farm in 1987, building a place for our family to live and grow.  We did not need to go camping or get away for to us our farm was a pleasant place to be. Growing up on the farm gave our kids piles of summer employment.  Numerous pets have enjoyed our country home as well.

We have landscaped and planted trees as we needed a wind break on top of our bare and windy hill!  Those first few summer's were windy and so cold.  We used saskatoon bushes as hedges, apple trees as specimens and planted the shelterbelts around our yard.  We gathered up so many apples from the ground as the trees matured and feed them to the pigs.  The whole barn smelt like apples, they loved those apples! 

The first shelterbelt running north and west was planted in the spring of 1988.  Twice we have stood by as late spring snows ripped branch after branch from our beautiful poplar trees.  The heavy snow bent the branches so low it was hard to recognize the trees were there at all.   As the snow melted we heard the sickening creak of hundreds of branches as they snapped and fell to the ground.  After the spring snowstorms of 2007, Bill and our youngest son needed the whole summer to clean up the mess.  Holding back all the useful wood, seventy-five truck loads of smaller branches still needed to go to the dump. Today everything looks wonderful again and with all the rain we have been getting lately, it is no wonder 'they' call this the Parkland.

Like many of you, we have become sky watchers. Weather systems & patterns pass through leaving their effect on every crop year.  Some summers have been a delight, others have been a pain!  In the summer of 2002, our oldest son and his bride chose to be married on the farm.  Our hay crop dried right up that spring, we had no moisture at all!  So, instead of putting up the hay and getting a cheque, we concentrated on preparing for the upcoming wedding. We really enjoyed holding the event. We still watch the skies for the rain and the heat that our fruits, veggies and trees need.

For 20 years we worked diligently raising hogs as a livelihood, putting 'pork on your fork'.  As of January 2010 the barns were all but gone.  Only the utility room, the roof, studs and floor were left.  Care has been taken to remove all that is not useful anymore. Plans for a greenhouse, garage, and work shop will take the place where the pigs once lived.  We have said farewell to a proud, but battered industry.  

For many years we grew Timothy Hay selling to Japan and local markets. We loved baling out in the fields on those warm and breezy days listening to the sounds of the tractor and baler working together binding up the hay.  It was fun when the weather was good.  One year we were finished in the middle of August, and then there was a year where we were baling into December.  We ending up round baling, the hay just never got dry enough in the summer and fall, it had to freeze dry!  We have 20 acres of Timothy Hay now for our horse and bunny loving friends.  Barley, wheat and canola were grown as well, some as feed for the animals and some for markets beyond. As you see, our history is strong in agricultural roots.  

We have joined organizations like AFFPA (Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association) to help get the word out as to what we are up too.  ARRGO (Alberta Rhodiola Rosea Growers Organization) has given us another crop to grow and learn about.  We have been in expansion mode growing all sorts of fruits, berries, herbs and veggies for you and your family.  Planted now are nine different fruits, not all are mature enough to produce just yet.  This part of our farm plan is really an extension of our summer hobbies and passions.

In 2005 we incorporated our farm, naming it Billyco Junction Ltd. The 'Billyco' comes from Bill’s name, and the co, well, that just sounded neat.  We knew we needed a change, we would not raise hogs our entire farming career. So, in naming the farm we added the word Junction, meaning 'connection' or 'interchange'.  We were researching ideas and looking for direction for the next phase of our life.  We liked the idea of a cottage fruit winery and in Alberta we need five acres of our own fruit.  So we decided to start a fruit and vegetable u-pick to help bring the winery about.  We love having you here enjoying the connection with the land, to see the sky in all its Alberta splendor, to work and pick sometimes until the sun sets!  We want you to see and connect with nature while picking your farm fresh products. We want you to be able to get away for awhile to visit and experience the beauty of rural Alberta.

At Billyco Junction Gardens we have provided a place for you and your children to connect with the outdoors, and the taste of farming.  But if you can't get to us, we have in place a CSA  (Community Shared Agriculture), which gives you an opportunity to buy a share and get your vegetables and fruits planned, planted, weeded, harvested and delivered weekly to a central location near your home for you to pick up and enjoy. There are working shares available for purchase as well, where you can choose your hours and help us on the farm in exchange for your veggies and fruits.  You are also welcome to visit and pick your own fruits and see where your food is grown as time allows.
 
A sit down area is soon complete where you will find our farm store, an approved kitchen, and a place where you can have a yummy smoothie or some rhubarb juice while you sit and relax before going home to process your fruits and veggies for the winter months.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Red Deer, Saurday's from 8:00am to 12:00 noon and Lacombe Farmers Markets Fridays from 9:00am to 1:00pm this summer as our produce becomes available for your buying pleasure.

We enjoy bringing you quality cleaning products like Norwex^® Enviro Products.  These products help in putting an end to the use of harmful 'cleaning' chemicals in your home and around your family. 

We also bring to you, PEP™- Personally Empowered People, these are weekly work shops delivered online and designed to strengthen and/or evaluate relationships, enhance self esteem, increase confidence, develop effective communication skills, grow your business, become a confident parent and so much more!