Demonstration Farms were erected in the early 1910s as a precursor to Schools of Agriculture. In 1911, the Sedgewick Demonstration Farm was established and by 1913 it was thriving. Please read the following passages for more on the Demonstration Farms and on the farm in Sedgewick, Alberta. As you look through the images, you will notice how similar the barns in their original locations still are to the ones standing on the Billows/Sarasin and Wesley properties.

Black, Dave. “Demonstration Farm at Sedgewick”. Sedgewick Sentinel: A History of                             Sedgewick and Surrounding Districts. 1st Ed. Sedgewick: Sedgewick                                        Historical Society, 1982. Print

“Set of Farm Buildings Erected on Each Demonstration Farm”.

The house on the far right of the following frame is the manager’s house. It currently still stands in Sedgewick on the south-eastern side of town.

The barn just to the left of the manager’s house in the photo was the horse barn. It has three split doors on the one side and 5 split doors on the other. These doors line up with stalls inside the barn. The horse barn was moved to a lot on the western edge of Sedgewick by Elmer and Clara Billows. You can see pictures of that barn and read about its history by clicking here. The house on the far left in the following image was the cook’s house. It was also moved by Elmer and Clara to their home.

The other barn in the following frame was the cow barn. It is wider than the horse barn and has windows on the sides instead of doors. It was moved by Frank and Cecilia Wesley to an area South of Strome, Alberta. You can see pictures of that barn and read about its history by clicking here.

Alberta. Dept. of Agriculture. Report Of Demonstration Farms And Schools                                          Of Agriculture Of The Province Of Alberta. 1st ed. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Dept.                of Agriculture, 1913. Print.

Additionally, the following image is of a herd of Jersey cows in front of the cattle barn at the Demonstration Farm in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It is interesting to compare these past and present photos of the barns.

Alberta. Dept. of Agriculture. Report Of Demonstration Farms And Schools                                          Of Agriculture Of The Province Of Alberta. 1st ed. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Dept.                of Agriculture, 1913. Print.

Below are some excerpts from a report done by the Province of Alberta on Demonstration Farms and Schools of Agriculture.

*As with all tiled images, please click on the first image to view all images in a slideshow. If you find the image hard to read please zoom in on the image or open the image in a new tab.

Alberta. Dept. of Agriculture. Report Of Demonstration Farms And Schools                                          Of Agriculture Of The Province Of Alberta. 1st ed. Edmonton, Alta: Alberta Dept.                of Agriculture, 1913. Print.