Representatives from the seven-ranch consortium travelled to Edmonton to receive the Alberta Food for Health Award and lunch with Premier Ed Stelmach at Government House on July 6.

The local organic beef producers won in the Healthy Alberta Food Sold Through a Retail Outlet category.

Diamond Willow received recognition, a glass trophy and a crispy $10,000 cheque for the efforts.

About 90 groups competed to qualify in one of five available categories of the Alberta Premier's, newly established Alberta Food for Health Awards. Rosemary-based Spragg's Meat Shop, Calgary's Prairie Mill Bread Company and University of Alberta's Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science won in three other categories, with no one earning the fifth category.

"We are very proud that we live in conventional beef country, yet, we choose to market organically. The award recognized that and that was wonderful," said member of the Diamond Willow consortium Bev Everts.

Diamond Willow's beef, produced on 283.3 square kilometres [70,000 acres] of certified organic land in the area, is marketed across Canada. The ranchers ship an average of 40 cows per week for processing.

The production is certified as organic according to the Organic Crop Improvement Association. Since the group was officially formed as the Producers of the Diamond Willow Range Ltd. in 1996, the members earned two Pincher Creek and District Economic Development Environment and one Alberta Cattle Commission's Environmental Stewardship awards.

Growing free-range, chemical-free beef, the collaborative became a bit of a media darling. Even well-known environmental activist and journalist David Suzuki visited to document the operations on film.

But there are draw-backs too.

"Certified organic beef production is difficult, labour intensive and expensive, and returns will make no one wealthy," wrote one of the Diamond Willow ranchers Norman Simmons in the Alberta Food for Health Award application.

"However, those involved with Diamond Willow have the considerable satisfaction knowing that they are producing healthy, high-quality beef, free of chemicals. Members take pride in maintaining environmental quality on foothills land."