The Alonsa Conservation District is pleased to announce that the recipient of this years Conservation Family Award is the Robertson Family (Bar -J Charolais) from the Harcus area.

Clint and lynn Robertson, along with their three children, Ty (8), Max (11), and Justin (16) ranch on seven quarters of land close to Lake Manitoba, south-east of Alonsa. They raise both commercial Angus and purebred Charolais cattle and hold an annual sale of purebred bulls (they produced the high selling Charolais bull in Canada in 2007). Roughly 400 acres of land is devoted to hay production and they also grow 40 acres of grain each year, mostly to keep the tame hay stand fresh.

The Robertson's are real believers in the value of trees on their land and try their best to work around them as much as possible. They hay around natural bluffs and have even fenced some bush parcels to prevent damage from cattle grazing.

In addition to cattle, Clint is a world-renowned breeder of Jacobin pigeons. He keeps 50 breeding pairs and has sold exceptional birds for as much as $10,000. each. He writes regular articles for several pigeon fancier magazines around the world and is President of the Canadian Pigeon Fanciers Association.

Clint has served 13 years on the Provincial Charolais Association and is currently serving his first term on the National Charolais Association. He is also newly appointed to the local Veterinary board. Both Clint and Lynn work at least two days a week at the Ste. Rose Auction Mart which specializes in cattle marketing. Lynn also worked eight years at a local gypsum mine, and she loves to spend time with her children and riding and training horses. As she so eloquently quotes, "our kids and our livestock are our lives".

Both Clint and Lynn have travelled extensively and have discovered that Manitoba is where they want to be and raise their children. They strongly believe that farming should be all about quality rather than quantity. As Clint says, "We have no plans to get bigger, just better".