Winter is fun, but safety comes first

Keeping kids safe on the farm is a key consideration during the winter, whether it’s snow-submerged fence posts, hidden barbed wire on snowmobile trails, snow removal that reduces yard visibility or the exhaustion that comes with winter calving,.

Snow sports, shifting weather, extreme cold and chores can add to safety risks.

Trish Henderson and her family, including husband Tim, son Luke, 11, and daughter Wynne, 6, ranch just outside Erskine, Alta. For everyone at LLB Angus, winter is the busiest time of the year. 

“Winter is long,” says Henderson with a laugh. “We’re calving.”

With 1,000 head to care for, the ranch has employees working with all kinds of equipment on different properties. The yards are busy and Wynne and Luke have clear guidelines about where, when and with whom they can visit the various areas of the ranch. 

Bennett Ray is 11 years old, loves to play hockey and spends a lot of time with his sister, Ellie 10, playing outside with a crowd of cousins.