Diane Rogers

When Katrina Hansen’s grandmother got sick last summer, the Three Hills, Alta., teenager visited her often in the local hospital. “It was kind of boring inside when I went to visit, so I took her outside. It was beautiful outside.” So when Katrina’s mother urged her to enter a national contest for 4-H members sponsored […] Read more

There is not much farmers can do when fuel costs rise. They can get a more fuel-efficient vehicle, keep their machinery well-maintained, and avoid bulk fuel purchases in the costly summer season. And that, say fuel experts, is all they can do. Brian Rebus, chief chemist for the Alberta Research Council’s fuels and lubricants laboratory, […] Read more

HERSCHEL, Sask. – From the depths of a wet cave to the smoky midst of an apiary to the insect-laden shores of a fishing lake, Lorraine Robbie can cover you. Her company, Verlor Fab-Tech, makes warm, tough waterproof clothing for active people. The company is based in a former school in a west-central Saskatchewan village […] Read more

Don’t follow the crowd. Get ahead of it if you want to make money growing herbs, says the head of an American industry group. Maureen Rogers, of the Pennsylvania-based Herb Growing and Marketing Network, advises newcomers to the herb and spice industry to not plan on selling to major companies. Those markets are sewn up, […] Read more

Opponents to genetically modified organisms celebrated a moral victory last month as an agricultural area of Victoria Island agreed to keep out some GMOs. The Cowichan Valley Regional District has declared the valley to be “trans-species GMO-free.” That means GMO crops can be grown as long as they have no genetic material from animals, said […] Read more

Despite deficits in most of Saskat-chewan’s health districts, no hospitals will be closed in the next year, says Saskatchewan health minister Pat Atkinson. At a July 14 news conference, Atkinson said the ban on closures will hold until after a provincial commission finishes examining the health system this winter. She and associate health minister Judy […] Read more

Prairie farmers are generally an independent lot, say two observers. Farm stress psychologist Nikki Gerrard of Saskatoon said there has been no research on western farmer traits. In the decade she has been dealing with farmers, she has recognized their need to stand alone. “But at the same time there is a great desire for […] Read more

Ontario farm women are hopeful they may see more rural child cares set up now that their provincial government has given that responsibility to municipalities. “We’ve been working on it so long. Finally having some bigger players is positive,” said Elaine Ball. She represents the Ontario Rural Council, one of the founders of a year-old […] Read more

As long as there are farmers, there will be a need to understand their rural culture. That is why Saskatchewan’s health department has set up a one-year experiment to ensure farm stress expertise is widened from a few individuals in the province to several people in each health district. The need for someone who can […] Read more

Deb Gardner talks in dog terms when she tries to explain the appeal of miniature horses. The waist-high animals are people oriented, good-tempered and easy to train. Those qualities helped when Gardner and two other adults formed the O.K. Corral 4-H Miniature Horse Club in Armstrong, B.C., two years ago. Gardner believes it is the […] Read more