United Farmers Historical Society

08/20/2026

It’s !

What a great photo of these Economy Carriers trucks at the Maple Leaf Truck Terminal along Ogden Road in Calgary.

📸UF 2002.0087.05

08/19/2026

Welcome to our last Wednesday hat feature of the summer! 🧢

Today, we are featuring a pink and brown cap with an embroidered patch in the centre that reads: “UFA 100 – Our Co-operative’s First Century.”

This hat was created to commemorate UFA’s 100th anniversary in 2009. UFA celebrated its 117th anniversary this year, making this hat 17 years old.
In fact, our archives were also first created in honour of this celebration. The United Farmers Historical Society (UFHS) formed in 2002 as a collection of artifacts and archival material in preparation for the History in Motion Trailer in 2009. It toured around the province for UFA’s centennial, showcasing this history in rural communities.

The material was officially arranged into an archive in 2010, with fonds and series, and has since become what we know as UFHS today.

All hats can be found here at the UFHS Archives.
UF 2025.0025.01

08/18/2026

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08/13/2026

Today we're featuring Rusty Jorgenson of the Drayton Valley UFA Petroleum Agency. Rusty started his career with UFA back in 1966 and along with his wife and partner Noreen, became one of UFA's longest serving agents with 45 years of service.

Phil Cutts, Petroleum area manager at the time of Rusty and Noreen's passing in 2010, said: "Rusty saw many changes to this part of the business - more than we can even imagine. He helped grow the business at the Drayton Valley agency from the initial small beginnings into one of the busiest petroleum sites in the UFA network. Rusty was a colourful agent, and I am sure anyone who came in contact with him would have a story to tell."

We recently spotted his bulk fuel truck, now located at Jorgy's Hot Spot at Parkland Beach.

08/12/2026

Welcome back another one of our Wednesday hat features! 🧢

Today, we are showcasing a shiny, iridescent purple hat with silver embroidery from a 1991 UFA Customer Appreciation Day.

Customer Appreciation Days were held throughout the 90s into the 21st century, as part of an initiative of various UFA petroleum agencies and farm stores province-wide. The purpose of the day is to give back to the communities that support them.

Over the years, many different events have been held in honour of UFA customers, including golf tournaments, barbeques, draws, and silent auctions. Do you remember going to one of these events?

All hats can be found here at the UFHS Archives.
UF 2003.0054.12

08/11/2026

Did you know the United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer highlighting the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade.

This important theme reminds us of this cover of The United Farmer from 1982 "Couldn't farm without her" showcasing the varied roles of farm women. Inside is a feature on the Women of Unifarm profiles the hard work that they within the organization to learn, educate, and support each other.

08/06/2026

Our newest blog post has been published 🎉

Read all about UFA and the emergence of the grain elevator in Alberta written by our archives assistant Rebecca ⬇

By Rebecca Bazant, Assistant Archivist Once a ubiquitous part of the Canadian prairie landscape, grain elevators lined CPR and CNR railways, delivering crops from coast to coast. The towering build…

08/05/2026

Welcome back to our Wednesday hat feature! 🧢

Today, we are highlighting a black cap with a maroon trim and embroidery from the Lloyd Bellew UFA Memorial Golf Tournament back in 1997.

UFA hosted the tournament in honour of Milk River agent Lloyd Bellew. He was first appointed as the Milk River agent April 1st, 1980, and won a petroleum award in 1983 as one of the company’s top 10 agents.

Lloyd passed away in 1994, and his wife, Janet, became the next Milk River UFA petroleum agent. The golf tournament was a fundraiser for the Milk River & District Ambulance Service.

All hats can be found here at the UFHS Archives.

UF 2004.0005.84

08/04/2026

We've rounded up some of the most frequent questions we've been asked over the years!
Anything else you would like to know? Send us a message or email us at [email protected]

07/31/2026

We are so pleased to have participated in Historic Calgary Week again this year 😊 Sharing UFA history is what we love to do and are grateful for the opportunity to connect with community members and history enthusiasts outside of the archives.

Our joint presentation with Brenda, Archivist of the Legal Archives Society of Alberta, on the legacy of John E. Brownlee in law, politics, and farming (1883-1961) was a success! Thank you so much to the attendees, Historic Calgary Week volunteers and Fish Creek library staff for their support.

Additionally, we attended a workshop at the Glenbow Western Research Centre to learn some tips on digitizing large and unusually shaped historical materials (including bugs!). Events like this help us expand our own knowledge.

This is the 36th year of Historic Calgary Week, put on by the Chinook Country Historical Society. Be sure to check out the amazing events that they organize, on now until August 3.