VICUNA, Chile – The Vicu–a Experimental Farm boasts a membership as exclusive as the most discriminating clubs in the world Overlooking a scenic valley of vineyards and orchards with the Andes mountains towering behind, the farm was set up to preserve the world’s rarest plant seeds. Seeds stored here are said to be protected from […] Read more
Stories by Elaine Shein
EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK
News sources When our newspaper appears in mailboxes 51 times a year, with 64 to more than 100 pages each week, readers probably wonder where we get all those story ideas. Flip through any of the papers and you’ll realize a large number of people are sources for the stories. Some of them have been […] Read more
Lending manager takes business approach to farming
COALDALE, Alta. – John Hubert gazed at six pea harvesting machines slowly making their way around his southern Alberta field. In less than 24 hours, the 61 acres of peas would be harvested and shipped under contract to Lucerne Foods in nearby Lethbridge. But before the harvesters were done, John hoped to bring out his […] Read more
CFWF awards
The Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation recently held its annual conference and meeting in Winnipeg, with more than 100 people in attendance. Western Producer opinion features received two awards, and another two awards went to a writer who recently joined us. Editor Garry Fairbairn received a silver award in the press editorial category for “Why do […] Read more
Contract provides price guarantee for Alberta pea growers
COALDALE, Alta. – Growing peas under a contract with Lucerne Foods Ltd. has helped make life easier for John Hubert. “It’s a nice crop to grow because the company harvests it,” the Coaldale, Alta. farmer said in mid-August as he watched six Lucerne harvesters clean up his field. Hubert is one of 45 farmers in […] Read more
Small world
In June I was sitting in a huge, posh dining room in a hotel in downtown Santiago. The occasion was a Rotary club meeting, with more than 200 people in attendance. The majority of them spoke no English. Eventually there gravitated to our table a friendly Chilean who spoke English. He was a bit late […] Read more
Seed service ideal for Chile’s climate
SANTIAGO, Chile – In 1977, when he was 31 years old, Juan Gebauer rented some land from a friend to create a seed nursery. A year later his father helped him buy the 210 acres located 30 kilometres south of downtown Santiago. Today, Gebauer is general manager of the Winter Nursery Service, and has up […] Read more
Chilean greenhouse plans for improved efficiency
QUILLOTA, Chile – Despite growing the biggest share of tropical plants sold in Chile, Viveros Hijuelas is planning bigger things for the future. “We’re changing from production to marketing. Now we’re thinking of what the market wants, not what can be produced,” said Dick Houter, a technical engineer in floriculture, who came from Holland to […] Read more
Pisco co-operative offers grape growers another market
VICUNA, Chile – Nestled in a fertile valley named Valle de Elqui, a co-operative allows farmers to sell grapes that fall below the normal quality standards for the country’s wines. The product produced by Capel (Co-operative Agricola Pisquera Elqui Ltda.) is well known throughout the country. Grapes are turned into a firewater known as pisco, […] Read more
Chilean vineyard has roots in watermelon
(Elaine Shein, managing editor of the Western Producer, recently spent five weeks in Chile as part of a Rotary group study exchange.) During the last 10 years, Chile has emerged as a strong economy in South America and the key to creating a free trade zone spanning North and South America. In December 1995, Chile […] Read more
