Soil and Agriculture

Peter Pond was the first person reported to have a garden on Alberta soil. His plot, in 1779, was only for personal use. However, agriculture has been a part of Alberta's history at least as long as it has been a province. Alberta was faced with many obstacles from the beginning—much had to be done to cultivate the land. In 1857, Captain John Palliser declared the land unfit for crops or agriculture. For the men and women who pioneered the technology behind agriculture, it was no small task.

It was with the coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway, in 1883, that the settlers came. Just before World War I, Alberta saw many settlers stop to cultivate the land that was deemed unfit just years before.

Alberta has certainly come a long way—from Peter Pond's small garden patch to a world leader in the industry of agriculture. How did Alberta get to where it is today? This section will illuminate the Province's agricultural history, and perhaps light the way to the future.