A family-owned and operated ranch in the Quesnel area has been recognized for 100 years of service.
Australian Ranch was recognized with a Century Farm Award by Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham earlier this week.
“It is an absolute honor to get this award; I mean not many people can hang in there in business for that long. It’s been about 120 years almost,” said Lenore Yorston.
“In BC in the Cariboo, there is no better place to live or farm. Our grandkids intend to take over, so we’re talking fifth generation here so it was very great to get that award.”
Century Farm Awards honor agricultural organizations that have been active for a century or longer, as well as pioneers whose farms and ranches have been in families for 100 years or more.
“You apply and it took me a long time to find the papers because they’re pretty old,” Yorston said with a laugh.
“It took me a while to find it but I did eventually.”
Yorston’s husband Bob’s grandfather and brother brought the 607 hectare (1500 acre) ranch in 1903. It was named after the small area and creek that divided the property by the men to first farm the land who had followed the Australian gold rush to the Cariboo gold rush in 1864.