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In the early days of the West's farming, grain grew quite a lot higher than it does today.The soil was untouched, and full of all the minerals needed for fine crops. And as long as there was also enough water and sun, the grain often grew so high, you could hide in it.
This photo is of Bertha and Martin Buelow, and was taken around 1911- 1912, on the Mallot's farm.
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Saskatoons Growing Wild1920
Near Mirror, Alberta
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Wild berries were sought after as a sweet and nutritious supplement to a farm family's diet.This photo is from the early 20's, and these Saskatoon berries were most likely picked close to Buffalo Lake, near Mirror, where many varieties of berries were readily available at that time.
Wild fruit grew in abundance, because there was little to tramp it down. Other berries also available close by were gooseberries, black and red currants, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, choke cherries, pin cherries, and even a few dewberries.
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Kills Hung after Hunting with Greyhounds1915
Near Mirror, Alberta
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Hunting was another good source of food for the early settlers. Although the buffalo herds had long been decimated, there was still lots of smaller game to be had.In this photo, the dogs are greyhounds.
The animals hanging in the background are most likely coyotes, which were hunted for their fur.
A hunting party would go out with both greyhounds and wolfhounds. The greyhounds would arrive at the prey first, because they were faster. They would circle the prey and hold it there until the slower and heavier wolfhounds arrived for the kill.
As the wolfhounds arrived, the greyhounds would return to the hunting party for their own safety during the wolfhounds killing frenzy.
Other animals which were hunted or trapped were weasels, skunks, badgers, woodchucks, rabbits, porcupine, muskrats, and occasionally bobcats, bears and cougars.
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Betty Muse with Freshly Killed Geese1912
Near Mirror, Alberta
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Mmmmm Fresh wild goose for supper!Betty Muce holds up 3 geese she has shot.
Note the rifle leaning up from the ground to her chest.
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Fishing1919
Gadsby Lake, N W of Mirror
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Great fishing could be had on the lakes around Mirror. Buffalo Lake and Gasdby Lake were two that were well used for good fishing.Fish was another nutritious and tasty supplement for the diet of the early settlers and townsfolk. Some of the fish available in our area were Jackfish, Suckers and Pike.
This photo was taken in 1919, and shows Angus Montgomery and Will Thomas with their catch for the day from Gadsby Lake.
They will be well welcomed at home when they arrive!
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Jim Pilcher cutting ice from the Lake1917
Buffalo Lake, near Mirror
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This is a 1925 photo of men cutting ice on Buffalo Lake.Using ice to preserve food (and make ice cream) after the coolness of winter disappeared was a tool of even the earliest pioneers.
The ice could be preserved for summer use by packing it in sawdust in a log shed.
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Ranching was another huge source of food, not only for our early settlers, but to ship away to the rest of the country and further.In the late 1800's and early 1900's, our Buffalo Lake area was a centre of ranching, with thousands of cattle needing our farmers to produce thousands of tons of hay each season.
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