About Us

The collective is the brainchild of two friends: Jay Cross, a fourth-generation rancher, and Shelly Faulkner, co-owner of Bluerock Gallery in Diamond Valley. During his time running the Bar Pipe ranch, Jay made a few donations of his herd’s cows to the local food bank. Years later, this blossomed into an idea between us - since ranch operations regularly yield animals that aren’t viable for breeding purposes but otherwise healthy, wouldn’t it make sense to build a network of altruistically-minded ranchers to regularly donate these animals to food banks, and an operational framework to make it easy?

We hope to shed light on both the needs of food banks and celebrate the generosity of the wonderful locals who choose to become a part of the Collective: neighbours helping neighbours!

Organizing Members

Jay Cross, Catalyst

Duties include: meaningful chats with fellow ranchers, drawing on a long family history of ranching, arranging tax receipt paperwork for donations, and General Brains. Superpower: deciphering nonprofit status application forms.

Shelly Faulkner, Co-Conspirator

Duties include: writing web copy, finessing social media, and generally enthusing and cheerleading this project (despite knowing practically nothing about ranching. Hey, she grew up in a city apartment, but she’s learning.)

Tangle Ridge Ranch, Okotoks

Tangle Ridge Ranch, nestled just west of Okotoks, Alberta, is a legacy in the making by the Otto family. Specializing in raising Simmental, Limousin, and Angus beef cattle, they employ modern technology and DNA testing to carefully track traits like feed efficiency, weight gain, and maternal genetics to ensure world-class beef production.

Safeguarding the environment for generations to come is a priority, and they’ve embraced a suite of sustainable practices. From utilizing earth-friendly products and biostimulants to nurturing plant and soil health, to championing animal welfare, they leave no stone unturned. Conservation tillage, judicious water management, and integrated pest management are not just buzzwords—they're cornerstones of the Tangle Ridge philosophy.

And the Otto family's dedication doesn't stop there. Just outside Okotoks, they helm EarthSmart Solutions. From household cleaning essentials to cutting-edge agricultural applications, they offer a comprehensive array of eco-friendly products, helping ensure that every choice their customers make is a step toward a greener tomorrow.

Financial Support:

Bluerock Gallery, Diamond Valley

Friends of the Collective:

Chelsea Lees (website design and tech support)

Annika Clennan (photography)

FFTC in the Media:

Western Wheel, April 2 2024

CBC, April 16 2024

CTV, April 17 2024