Diane Rogers

Carl Palmer is a happy man. His goal for the past eight years has been to set up an organization in all 10 provinces where disabled farmers can talk to each other. He accomplished that on Feb. 21 with a meeting of the Canadian Farmers with Disabilities Registry in Nanaimo, B.C., which welcomed the British […] Read more

An advocate of rural day care is urging interested parties to join a teleconference call this month as a prelude to lobbying the federal government for a plan that works for farm parents. Jane Wilson of Rural Voices has published a document on-line that discusses child care for rural, remote and northern parents. She said […] Read more

The oversized pizza oven sitting atop what looks like a stainless steel pool table is the Saskatchewan government’s latest gift to food producers. The $16,000 impingement oven will allow the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre located at the University of Saskatchewan to better develop food products. It allows the food being tested to be produced […] Read more

Darwin Hoimyr predicts the federal government will close more post offices in rural Canada if residents don’t complain to their MPs. As the head of the union representing postmasters in Saskatchewan, he said it is about more than saving jobs for the union’s 700 members. It is about saving a rural lifestyle and preserving what […] Read more

After 12 years in operation, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association decided it was time for an overhaul: a new city, a new boss and a new focus. In October, the association moved its office to Winnipeg from Saskatoon, partly because of a new public health facility in Manitoba and partly because that’s where several grain […] Read more

Americans have learned to eat their broccoli. In a speech at Crop Production Week on Jan. 12, Andy Benson of the International Food Information Council in Washington, D.C., said a 2002 survey of American consumers showed 62 percent were eating at least one new food for its health benefits. Broccoli topped the list of what […] Read more

Herbs take more experimentation than wheat when trying to figure out the best way to grow a crop. Herb grower and trader Wanda Wolf of Phippen, Sask., told the Jan. 13 meeting of the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association in Saskatoon that people who want to get started in this niche business should not begin […] Read more

The three prairie provinces are among six in Canada that are testing to see if aboriginal communities will set up 4-H clubs. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are piloting the effort by the Canadian 4-H Council. Project manager Debra Hauer said a feasibility study conducted in 2003-04 found there is a place […] Read more

Research supports what ancient civilizations knew about herbs and spices. The aromatic plants used in cooking not only give food a better flavour, but can improve health. Paula Negraes, a University of Saskatchewan masters student studying functional food, said spices can replace salt and sugar in recipes, helping those who have high blood pressure or […] Read more

Young farmers should be more aware of contest opportunities and enter them, says a 2004 national winner. “We need more farm kids involved,” said Ashly Larson of Erickson, Man., who last year won the Top 20 Under 20 competition sponsored by Youth in Motion, which selects the top 20 young people in Canada under the […] Read more