Red Feather Ridge replacing cattle and crops

Doug and Cheryl Livingstone and family have been producing grain and purebred Hereford cattle on their Vermillion, Alberta area farm for many years. But, as Doug recently noted, speaking to the Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference in Edmonton, “food doesn’t gain any real value until after it leaves the farm gate.”

So the Livingstones have recently embarked on a venture that makes use of the natural advantages found on their 2,200 acre Val Terra Ranch. They’ve gone into the hospitality industry.

The farming family has recently opened Red Feather Ridge Lodge. Built on a hill overlooking a natural pond and wooded area on the farm, the Red Feather Lodge is a banquet and meeting facility that can handle both small and medium-sized gatherings, with banquet facilities for up to 160 people. Next year they plan to have three cabins ready for overnight accommodations for up to 12 people.

Cherly Livingstone has long been in the catering business, and son Robert is a trained chef who worked in the restaurant industry in Calgary for a number of years.

Since it was becoming more difficult to pencil out a profit selling beef cattle, the Livingstones looked at other business options that could make use of their ranch as well as their skills.

Red Feather Ridge, which just opened in recent weeks, can hosts groups ranging in size from six to 160. The lodge is ideal for any business or association looking for a place to hold a day long seminar or staff meeting, or families looking for a location for a reunion, birthday party or wedding.

With Doug and Cheryl and Robert and his wife Audra actively involved in the Red Feather Ridge, they plan to scale back on both beef and crop production. “We looked at our options and we can’t do it all,” says Doug. “Likely the grain and some of the cattle will go and will put our efforts into the new venture.”

A website for Red Feather Ridge is in the works, but not yet operating. In the meantime for more information contact the Livingstones at (780) 763-2385 or email: valterra@telusplanet.net .

(Accompanying photos are courtesy of Lori Henry, a travel writer based in Edmonton).

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