Introducing the last cattle frontier.

Having spent 35 years ranching in British Columbia, Dick and Diane Coombs had no intention of expanding their operation due to high land costs and they had never thought of moving elsewhere.

Then in June 2000 while visiting friends in the Yorkton area, they were impressed with the friendliness of the local townspeople and the variety of amenities that existed. When they discovered that a quarter section cost only $30,000-$35,000, and there was unlimited land available, they began to realize there were tremendous opportunities in Saskatchewan.

So in April 2001, the Coombs made a decision that they've never regretted--they sold their land, packed up their belongings and moved to a new ranch 48 km east of Yorkton. "We couldn't be happier," says Diane. "It's wonderful country and wonderful people. The land you get is so much better for cattle farming. In east-central Saskatchewan, you can put 50 pairs on a quarter of land, whereas in B.C., it would take four quarters to support 70 pairs."

Now the Coombs are sharing their experiences as spokespeople with the Last Cattle Frontier, an initiative headed by the Good Spirit Regional Economic Development Authority and Ducks Unlimited Canada, to encourage farm families to relocate in east-central Saskatchewan. The initiative began in the fall of 2001 when Ducks Unlimited Canada wanted to increase the number of cow/calf operators in the area because ranching can be mutually beneficial for the environment and the beef industry. There was plenty of land available for sale and the organization approached the Good Spirit REDA to develop a program to encourage farmers to purchase this land for their cattle operations.

"Our interest was not only to revitalize east-central Saskatchewan, but to preserve the existing habitat and to see more habitat on the land as well," explains Trevor Plews, professional agrologist at Ducks Unlimited. "We had support from two rural municipalities--the RMs of Churchbridge and Calder, and the Churchbridge Community Development Association." Other organizations which supported the initiative included Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization; Farm Credit Canada; The Credit Unions of East Central Saskatchewan; Royal Bank Financial Group; Bank of Nova Scotia; Heartland Livestock; Yorkton Agriculture Information; Yorkton Co-op; Nilsson Brothers; Birch Island Land and Cattle Company; and the City of Yorkton.

It was a large undertaking to pull all these organizations together to support a common initiative. However, the benefits behind the program made sense. The area had an aging demographic and many farmers wanted to sell their land and retire. The land has strong carrying capacity for cattle. Droughts were few and far between. And there was little competition to drive up land prices.

Members of the Last Cattle Frontier began researching environmental conditions to attract farmers with similar conditions. They considered crops, moisture levels and grazing days. They also talked to local seed growers and farmers.

This research determined that the number of grazing days was extremely important in their decision-making. They also noted that families with a long history of farming were more likely to have kids that were interested in expanding the operation.

After identifying the region's competitive advantages, the Last Cattle Frontier members began looking at who would be interested in the land. "We looked at the cattle farming families in Alberta, where the land values are extremely high," says Gord Bulmer, Good Spirit REDA general manager. "We went to Alberta Agriculture and asked there where we could find the heaviest concentration of young cattle ranchers and then we targeted them. We went to places in-between Edmonton and Calgary and held public information sessions. We also developed the website, lastcattlefrontier.com, as an on-line information source."

"The most frequent question we got in the beginning was 'What's in it for you?' There was no profit in it for us; we believe if they decide to relocate, the environment can win, too," adds Plews. "The next big question was 'Can you really buy a quarter of land for $50,000?' Our job was to reassure them that there was land available for that price and that it was excellent for cattle. It was a matter of referring them to resources and information, free of charge, so they could compare our livestock services such as markets, veterinarians, equipment rental, and so on."

Quality of life issues were also important considerations. People wanted to know more about schools, recreation options and churches. Most of the families that attended the information sessions were already looking at expanding and Saskatchewan was a consideration because of the land values.

There are currently about 60 people who have either moved or are thinking about moving because of the Last Cattle Frontier. One of those is Darryl Conners, who lives near Red Deer. "We were looking at land in Saskatchewan before the seminar, but it did help open our eyes a bit, regarding where in Saskatchewan we would buy. The furthest east I'd been was Regina and Saskatoon, so finding out more about the Yorkton area was an eye-opener."

He adds that he and his brother are looking to expand because they have to earn a living for two families. Since you can buy an acre of land in Saskatchewan for $300 compared to $1,000 to $1,500 in Alberta, it is very tempting to expand.

Although it's not an easy decision to relocate or expand into Saskatchewan, it's been a rewarding experience for those who have taken the plunge. "It's really good to see young couples coming out here to farm," says Diane Coombs. "We're working on our kids and grandkids to come out here. There is much land here, which isn't the best for grain farming because of the sloughs, but it is just incredible for cattle."