Matador Co-op Farm

Image of men working the fields of the Matador Farm, a co-operative enterprise established near Kyle, SK, in April of 1946. Photo taken in 1952. Following WWII, the Co-operative Commonwealth Association offered crown land and monetary assistance to individuals--including returning soldiers—willing to farm on a co-operative basis. Their production of quality grain was so successful that they eventually surpassed their quota, prompting them to integrate livestock into production. This co-operative movement flourished until the mid-1950s, when the farms began to decrease in number. The Matador farm was revitalized and repurposed multiple times throughout the 20th century; it permanently disbanded, however, in 2011. "Combines at work on the Matador Co-operative Farm north of Swift Current, Sask. (1952)" written on back of photo in black ink.