What We’re Reading | The road to foot and mouth was long, but the path was short

By Sheri Hathaway, The Western Producer

In 1951, the world was recovering from the Second World War, financially and emotionally. People looked for new ways to get ahead.

Willi Bruntjen, a 29-year-old farm worker, left his homeland of Germany on Oct. 15 and came to Canada seeking a new life. He wore his only clothes, a brown suit, and carried a package of food for the trip, which included a link of sausage.

He obtained work in Saskatchewan at the farm of Leonard Waas outside of McLean on Nov. 2. Waas owned a small operation of 38 cows and a few pigs and horses.

Bruntien stayed just two days because he soon got work at a larger operation. Before leaving Waas’s farm, Bruntien found a dried piece of his sausage in his pocket and tossed it into the pig trough.

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‘What We’re Reading‘ is a quick look at some of the issues and insights Alberta Beef Producers’ content creators and editors are reading to stay up-to-date, to broaden perspectives, and to explore issues relevant to the agriculture industry.