Rural Saskatchewan men have known for generations what our urban counterparts have only more recently discovered: the power of the beard. What’s been an emerging fashion statement for hipsters and trendsetters in cities has been an absolute necessity for those enduring a country winter of endless extreme cold warnings.

The more fashion conscious are proud of their closely manicured facial hair with tapered sideburns and pencil-thin moustaches that suggest a different time. In rural Saskatchewan, the winter beard takes on a more unruly temperament. Every follicle sprouts a wiry growth designed to combat winter. The men who wear them have no choice but to sport massive winter-fighters. You see them congregate at poker rallies, unheated hockey barns, or in ice-fishing huts. And rather than being treated with essential oils and fragrances like eucalyptus or juniper berry, many rural Saskatchewan beards are more likely lubricated with 30 weight motor oil or bearing grease.

Some are dark, some are ginger, while others are a salt and peppered silver. The one thing that all free range beards have in common is that they turn a crusty white and add three to five pounds to the face after sustained exposure to a -45 wind chill. The prairies are infested with these Santa lookalikes throughout the winter.

While some beard wearers lose them completely for summer, most prefer a respectable trim. They know that with the last mosquito and the last turn of a combine wheel, they’ll be back to an inevitable Saskatchewan winter. They’re just ensuring a head start for next season.