Author’s father served in Yugoslavia’s military during the Second World War before he was captured by the Germans
Remembrance Day always has a special meaning for me. As a boy growing up in rural Manitoba, I recall taking in the ceremonies at our local school and pausing at the appropriate time to honour those who gave their lives during military conflict. Then, as a member of a local air cadet squadron, I participated […] Read moreStories by Freelance writer
Farm sitters allow families to take a vacation
Making the expense of a quality, trustworthy farm sitter part of the vacation budget can lead to a more peaceful holiday
Whether it’s applying Vaseline to chicken combs in -30 C temperatures to prevent frostbite, wrangling horses out of fields they’re not supposed to be in, feeding the inside dogs and cats or hunkering down for a one-on-one session with a needy sheep, Gwen Mann has done it all for her various farm-sitting clients. “Horses, alpacas, […] Read more
Old-school solution found to new tree trouble
Sheep put to work keeping grass under control in recently harvested timber stands as an alternative to herbicides
Tyler Niles never thought he’d see sheep helping to manage tree regrowth after timber harvesting. The silviculture forester with Weyerhaeuser in Grande Prairie, Alta., said the sheep are proving useful in helping new trees gain a better foothold in cutblocks. Cutblocks are areas with clear boundaries that have been approved for harvest. Companies like Weyerhaeuser […] Read more
Alta. gardener grows Canada’s biggest pumpkin
Don Crews of Lloydminster set a new Canadian record at this year’s Great White North Pumpkin Fair in Smoky Lake, Alta.
It was definitely a great pumpkin. Don Crews of Lloydminster, Alta., set a new Canadian record last month by growing a gourd weighing 2,537 pounds. Crews said he started the pumpkin in mid-April and it pollinated June 16. “It already had 14 or 15 feet of vine by then and I set back to just […] Read more
Grass-fed vs. grain-fed: what’s best?
Trade-offs dominate as researchers in California compare outcomes in various types of grass-fed beef production
Grass-fed beef production has seen a groundswell of support as public concerns over climate change have increased. This consumer ideology helped drive retail sales of fresh grass-fed beef in the United States from $17 million in 2012 to $272 million in 2016 and experts predict niche market and grass-fed beef sales will increase globally by […] Read more
Alberta Wheat Pool would have turned 100 next year
It’s been nearly a century since farmers formed the co-operative to reduce their dependence on private companies
This Oct. 29 would have been the 99th year for the Alberta Wheat Pool if it still existed, born out of a need for farmers to gain control over plunging grain prices. In 1923, farmers were forced to sell their grain at a lower price than their cost of production. The United Farmers of Alberta […] Read more
Co-op shelves local produce
WASKATENAU, Alta. — A group of northern Alberta farmers and their friends have formed a co-op to help sell their produce, strengthen their community and have a place to meet. The writing was on the wall for the group of small-scale farmers who were finding it increasingly difficult to make a living selling their farm […] Read more
Preserving Mother Nature’s bounty
Canning is the most common way to store the fall garden haul, but fermentation and dehydration are other options
In many places across the Prairies, gardeners are wrapping up another season. Shining tomatoes, jewel-coloured carrots and beets, beautiful beans, sharp-tasting onions, earthy potatoes are coming out of the ground, pulled off the plants and lined up on kitchen counters. But how best to preserve the summer’s bounty? What are some tried-and-tested ways of keeping […] Read more
School playground fun evolved with the seasons
The opportunities seemed endless, from waging war on gophers to a brisk game of Fox and Goose in newly fallen snow
At recess time, many of our teachers just turned us loose to the elements. On warm autumn days there was the excitement of drowning out gophers on the school yard, their burrows flooded by dozens of pails of water conveyed by a bucket brigade from the nearby ditch. The gopher population may have been depleted […] Read more
Low stress is best when moving cow-calf pairs
The separation of pairs on the trail often results in animals bawling and leaving the herd seeking their mother or calf
It’s sometimes easier to trail cattle rather than haul them to a new pasture, depending on the distance involved. Some people use quads but in many situations, cattle are moved using horseback riders, especially if the herd is being moved across open country with difficult terrain. When cows with calves are trailed, they often get […] Read more
