Wing tips to rubber boots

Forget the stereotype of overalls and pitchforks. Meet two farmers who work boardrooms by day, barns by night.

Their lives are very different, but they share a common bond. Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, and recent recipient of the Order of Canada, and Tracy Hansen, corporate lawyer with Calgary law firm Beaumont Church, have a passion for agriculture – a passion that has driven both of them to incorporate the business of farming into their already busy careers.

Farming means being resourceful

His love of the land started in childhood. Raised on a farm just west of Stony Plain, Dr. Tyrrell has fond memories of time spent working with his dad on their mixed farm.

“I learned early in life that being a farmer means being resourceful,” he says. “My dad and I faced challenges everyday – and they had to be solved using the tools and ingenuity we had at hand.”

The ability to be resourceful has stood this remarkable Albertan in good stead. Dr. Tyrrell and his research team are known throughout the world for their groundbreaking discovery of antiviral therapy for the hepatitis B virus. Today, the therapy is branded, licensed and distributed in over 60 countries.

Interestingly, Dr. Tyrrell’s farm background had a major role to play in the research and development process. One of the challenges of his research, was finding a way to grow the virus outside of humans. The human hepatitis B virus can only be grown in primates. But in 1986, while preparing for a lecture on hepatitis B, Dr. Tyrrell came across a paper demonstrating that scientists at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia had used a duck version of hepatitis B to uncover its replication cycle. Ducks, he learned, are one of the few species in which hepatitis B occurs naturally.

Feathered friends

“The lights came on,” he said. “When I realized the virus in ducks was so similar to that in humans, I knew we were on our way.”

After several futile and somewhat humorous attempts at sourcing duck eggs (his importing activities had more than a few feathers ruffled at the Canadian border), Dr. Tyrrell got resourceful. He went back to his parents’ farm and established his own duck colony. Once the colony was well established, it was moved to the University of Alberta farm where it still operates today.

“I’d spend the day in the laboratory and head off to the farm on evenings and weekends to check on my ducks,” he recalls. “There’s no question that my farming heritage motivated me to find a solution to the duck dilemma. My dad was a good mentor.”

Soul Food

Today, Dr. Tyrrell and his wife own their own farm. They contract farm (contract farming involves contracting the seeding, growth and harvesting of crops on one’s land to professional farmers) and grow crops using the expertise and equipment of professional farmers. “I make all the growing and production decisions,” he points out. “But, I have a very high regard for the professionalism of farming and I rely on the experience and skill of my contract partners and the extension specialists at Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.”

What prompts his commitment to farming? “It’s my soul food,” he says. “I live a very hectic and busy professional life. The farm gives me a place to rejuvenate and recharge. It takes me back to my childhood and connects me with values I hold dear.”

He also sees farming as a way to diversify his portfolio. While he knows farming isn’t always highly profitable, he is quick to point out that the potential for land inflation more than justifies his investment long term.

Most important it’s his connection to things growing and changing. “At the end of a long day, my wife and I can ride our horses, drink in the peace of this beautiful place and watch the world grow.”

Can’t take the country out of this kid

There’s a good chance that Tracy Hanson may be the only lawyer in Calgary who received branding irons for Mother’s Day.

What does a lawyer need with branding irons? When Tracy isn’t practicing law in downtown Calgary, she’s working on her 200-head cattle ranch, 10 minutes east of Airdrie, Alta.

“You know what they say,” explains Hanson. “You can take the kid out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the kid.

Juggling act

How can someone be a full-time lawyer and a cattle rancher? Tracy says it’s a juggling act – especially when you add their two daughters, ages 4 and 6, into the mix.

“It’s all about time management – the family, the farm, the law practice,” says Hanson. “Both careers allow me a certain amount of flexibility. Right now, we’re silaging (harvesting hay) and I had planned to stay on the ranch for the next few days to get it done. But yesterday, we had an unexpected machinery breakdown, so instead, I went in to the office.”

How does she keep her priorities straight? “It’s a total partnership with my husband, Earl. Our love of the country and the ranching lifestyle keep us motivated. And, a good sense of humour and fun sure helps.”

Hanson also wants her children to experience the same rural upbringing she and Earl had. So, they make sure their children are part of the farming operation.

“We do a lot of activities together. The girls have horses that they ride on their own, so if we have to check cows, they come along with us,” she says. “They’re learning that farming is hard work, but it comes with huge benefits like family time, fresh air and loads of space to run and play.”

It’s a business, too

While the country living attracted Tracy and Earl to ranching, it’s not the only reason they do it.

“The farm is a business,” states Hanson. “The lifestyle is the bonus.” She explains that the farm has to be viable on its own and that they wouldn’t be farming if they couldn’t make money.

“We approach our farm like any other business investment,” she says. “We work from a business plan and we expect to earn a return on our time and money. But, the value added for our family has a big spot on our balance sheet.”