3.2 Scenario for Discussion
Winifred Athembo; Lee Beavington; and Deirdre Maultsaid
Setting
GreenFolks Ranch is a family cattle ranch started in the 1950s by the father of the current rancher. Located in Western Canada, this family-owned ranch rears beef cattle. The family produces their own animal feed by planting hay and grasses at the ranch; they also maintain acres of fenced pasture. GreenFolk Limited has six employees and some casual labourers who work during the peak seasons. The ranch has a contract with Western Energy, a gas and oil company, that permits the energy company to lay gas pipelines through their land. Western first approached GreenFolks Ranch in 2005 and installed pipelines between 2006 and 2010.
Western Energy is a large North American conglomerate. Western Energy provides thousands of well-paying jobs to Canadians and generates billions of dollars for the economy. It has subsidiary companies working in the Alberta oil sands, in gas and oil pipeline infrastructure, and in oil refineries. They are becoming a global leader in deep-water gas exploration.
Characters
- Aaron White is a White rancher in his 50s and is the spouse of Chida and father of Daniel. He inherited this ranch from his parents. He grew up on the ranch and has spent his working life there. He is a problem solver who can fix most things. He cares about the cattle and treats them well. He listens to his other family members and the ranch hands but generally avoids conflict.
- Chida Adama is a Black Nigerian immigrant (settled in Canada in the 1990s) and is the spouse of Aaron and mother of Daniel. She is also in her 50s. Chida handles the administration of the ranch, coordinating with veterinarians, buyers, auction houses, etc. Chida sometimes goes to Edmonton to visit other family, but she is very focused on the family ranch. She appreciates the wildlife that flourishes around the ranch, has many birdfeeders hanging in the trees around the house and has rows and rows of lilac bushes that she loves.
- Daniel Adama White is a biracial man in his late 20s and is Chida and Aaron’s son. It has always been discussed that he will inherit the ranch and provide for his parents if they wish to move to a nearby town or stay on the ranch. Daniel is a mostly self-taught practitioner of sustainable ranching. He is working on an online certificate in sustainable ranching practices. He is concerned about fossil fuel use and climate change.
