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Featured Publication
New Release from Rolf Buschardt Christensen
Front Cover
Back CoverNew Release
Churning Butter
Christian Marker and the Rise of the Alberta Dairy Industry
By Rolf Buschardt Christensen
Pages
340 pages
Photographs
Over 100 photographs
Christian Marker was trained as a dairyman in Denmark. After receiving an excellent education in the dairy industry, he immigrated to Canada in 1890. His first job was in a dairy outside Toronto, but already in 1891 he began working at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa.
In 1897, the Dominion government appointed him supervisor and sent him to the Alberta District in the Northwest Territories to help farmers establish dairies. Among many others, he helped the farmers in the Icelandic settlement of Tindastoll establish a viable creamery. In appreciation for his help, they changed the name of their settlement to Markerville.
This book by historian Rolf Buschardt Christensen is a partial history of the birth and early development of the dairy industry in Alberta. In the process, we will follow Marker's career as Dairy Commissioner (1905–1934) and be introduced to some of the dairymen he met along the way.
Choose Your Format
Order Hardcopy — $30.00 CAD(+ shipping · via Contact Form)ISBN: 978-1-988266-13-8
Publisher: Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
What Readers Are Saying
Rolf Christensen has put together a book much more exciting and entertaining than a cursory glance at a book about dairy production might suggest.
I feared it would be a book about making butter, but it is really a book about people—very interesting people.
I am reading your latest book and have learned some Canadian history while reading it. I have a few pages left—it has been a good read.
I have started reading Churning Butter and am surprised by how much I am learning about history, even in just the first 50 pages. I find the book easy to read and well written.
About the Author
Rolf Buschardt Christensen is a historian and one of the founding members of the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada. He served the Federation with distinction from 1981 to 2025, dedicating 44 years to the Danish-Canadian community.
His extensive research into Danish-Canadian history has made him one of the foremost authorities on the subject. Churning Butter represents years of meticulous research into Alberta's dairy industry and the remarkable Danish immigrants who helped shape it.
Learn More About the FederationHeritage Books
Annual publications documenting Danish-Canadian history, activities, and community diversity
Latest Edition
2025 Heritage Book
Danish Immigration to the Canadian Prairies
Explore the rich history of Danish settlers on the Canadian Prairies, featuring stories, photographs, and historical accounts from Danish communities across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
Looking for older editions?
Heritage Books from 2015 to 2024 are available as free PDF downloads on our Heritage Book page.
Browse Free DownloadsAbout the Heritage Book Series
The annual Heritage Book has been published by the Federation since its founding. Each edition documents Danish-Canadian history, conference proceedings, member organization activities, and the diversity of the Danish community in Canada—a major contribution to preserving our shared legacy.