Westway Farms Ltd.
Didsbury, Alberta
Meet the Hadway family of Westway Farms Ltd. Tom and Carol Hadway along with children (Dayna & Caith Cameron), (Andrea & Brayden Schmidt), Will Hadway, and Josie Hadway run Westway Farms Ltd. at Didsbury, Alberta.
About Us
Westway Farms is a family based operation supported by staff who are an important part of the Westway Family. Their accomplishments are achieved together. It is very important for Westway Farms to be responsible stewards of the natural land base they manage. They are farming land that is fourth generation on Carol's side of the family so it is important to ensure the land is sustained and protected for years to come.
Grain and cattle are the foundation of the Westway Farms operation. Westway has grown and sold pedigreed seed for 40 years and have been raising cattle for 30. Presently, growing and selling Pedigreed Seed with an on farm seed cleaning plant, selling purebed Simmental & Angus and Westcross Bulls, running a 500 head cow/calf herd and feeding and finishing 1000 head.
Defining Sustainability
To us sustainability means ...
Working as one with the land and the ecosystems already there and protecting them for the future.
~ Tom Hadway
Why we became a certified sustainable ranch
We became certified a few years ago because it was a seamless transition. Our farm practices already aligned with the required certifications and we felt as a farm it was our duty to create a stronger message from producer to consumer about how we raise cattle and manage the land in a sustainable way.
Our Sustainable Practices
Running a mixed farming operation allows our farm to be flexible and capitalize on benefits of sustainability for both the cattle and grain sectors.
-By using manure from our feedlot we maintain healthy soil and grow all of our own feed using minimal tilling practices.
-If poor weather affects crop we quality we have the ability to convert it to feed.
-We have an environmental farm plan that protects our creek and other water bodies and leaves natural wooded areas for wildlife and conservation.
-We use solar watering systems.
-Our farm manages and grazes Jackson Lake, a section of land that is part of the Legacy Land Trust Society - to conserve it as a natural wetland, and wooded grazing area.
-We practice rotational grazing systems to maintain healthy grasslands and healthy cattle.
-We work very closely with our Veterinarian providing the best animal care plan possible and participate in studies to monitor antimicrobial resistance in cow/calf herds.
What we want you to know...
We achieve great satisfaction in seeing our cattle from birth to finish. Raising them on our own forage and feed, managing their handling and husbandry, and providing a quality product for the Canadian food chain - it is an honourable life that we want consumers to be apart of.