I’m willing to bet Bill DeKay was feeling a little lightheaded one recent night in New Orleans. It wasn’t from the heat and humidity. It was from standing up and sitting down, over and over again, as his name was called to receive awards. Bill won the photographer of the year award July 26 at […] Read more
Stories by Joanne Paulson
Famine stricken Somalis need and deserve familiar foods
I had lunch last Thursday. I had a big bowl of soup, thick with chunks of beef and seasonal vegetables, along with a sesame bagel covered in rich cream cheese. I sat alone in air-conditioned comfort in our cafeteria until Shauna Brand, our classified manager, came in to join me. She had leftover stir-fry, followed […] Read more
Critical mass of grain business still solid in Winnipeg
Winnipeg’s downtown is a slightly crazy place. Once you get off Portage and Main, roads swoop and curve in various directions. One way streets may drive you mad. There’s a fascinating mixture of arts, business, retail and beautiful old buildings complete with ancient-looking columns. If you’re in agriculture, though, the really interesting thing about downtown […] Read more
Farm family shifts from cattle to clubs
GOODSOIL, Sask. — The Sopracolle family’s cattle once roamed over the rolling hills and through the virgin forest that now decorate an 18-hole golf course. Northern Meadows Golf Club was an unusual vision for diversification in a part of Saskatchewan that has long been a tough slog for farming. “It’s been a tough uphill struggle […] Read more
British paper’s conduct an embarrassment to journalism
I would like to thankNews of the Worldfor flinging its filth all over newspapers in the United Kingdom and beyond. The 168-year-old British tabloid –I refuse to call it a newspaper –published its final edition last week, but not before sowing seeds of doubt among readers everywhere. The tab, known for its muck-raking and sensationalism, […] Read more
Sharing again; new chapter for editor and columnist
In a previous work life, Kevin Hursh and I shared a newspaper page once a week. As business editor at a daily prairie paper, I greatly appreciated Kevin’s incredible knowledge of the agriculture industry and his patient assistance when I needed help understanding a process or an issue. In those days, I and others would […] Read more
Rain or snow, sleet or hail, we want to know
Here’s a quick quiz. What has been the top story in western rural Canada so far this year? a) weather b) weather c) weather If you chose one of the above, you are obviously correct. The only other story that even comes close is labour disputes, but not getting your mail for three weeks does […] Read more
Sometimes work can be a lot of fun
Farm trade shows are many things to many people. They are great places to showcase innovations, display equipment, make deals, meet people and solidify business relationships. What I didn’t realize until last week’s Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina is that they can also be fun. At previous farm shows, I was always on […] Read more
School program engages youth in science, ag
Education has changed since I was a kid, several million years ago. I exaggerate, a little, but one does feel old when faced with the fresh ideas and aspirations of today’s high school students, especially those involved in innovative new programs. I’ve bumped into several new teaching methods over the last few years, but this […] Read more
Getting mail still fun … and important
Those of us working for businesses reliant on postal service have been dreading and planning for a strike for weeks. It may be a new world, communications- wise, but the mail continues to be crucial and will remain so for the foreseeable future. The internet has certainly affected Canada Post on several fronts and I […] Read more
