I may have found a new hobby: auctions. It’s not that I have the money to actually participate, but just being there must be the best entertainment value on the planet. I hadn’t been to an auction for years, and the Angus sale at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina last week made me wonder why. […] Read more
Stories by Joanne Paulson
Hospital visits more difficult in rural areas
My Aunt Mary has been dying for the last few weeks. She was such a private person, she would likely have been appalled that I am writing about her, even as a tribute and a goodbye. However, the end of her life has consumed mine for quite some time, and I have no other words […] Read more
Bright forecast sparks talk of expansion
Is it time to grow the farm? In a recent conference call, agriculture managers at the Bank of Montreal and Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, discussed the opportunities and challenges facing farmers. All three panel members were quite positive about the immediate future: BMO’s forecast for agriculture in 2012 is growth […] Read more
Show addresses farmers’ issues and interests
If you ever plan to attend Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ont., I have a few words of advice. Wear comfortable shoes and bring your water bottle. This show is massive, covering 85 acres, hosting more than 700 exhibitors and welcoming about 43,000 guests over three days each September. This year, I attended the […] Read more
There’s still time to think of timely costumes
Sorry to be mixing my holidays, but I am the Grinch of Halloween. I thought it was fun for about three years when I was dashing around the block collecting bags of candy. Indeed, candy is the only reason for Halloween, in my view. We buy huge boxes of baby Mars bars because they are […] Read more
Common cold develops one-two punch
Have you had this exciting autumn cold yet? Every day, it’s a new and wonderful symptom. First, you can enjoy the fiery sensation that your sinuses are burning. Then, embrace the feeling of being high on some crazy unnamed drug that fogs your brain and freezes your body. No need for any medication. Your brain […] Read more
Is farming the job of the century?
The state of agriculture in North America has made it to the pages ofTimemagazine, which recently described farming as the best job of the 21st century. I’ve made it through more than four decades of living on the Prairies and I have never, ever heard such a thing applied to farming in the economic, as […] Read more
Hail nails crops, buildings, vehicles across Sask.
Our annual August trip to the family cabin in northwestern Saskatchewan started (or so we thought) with a bit of a bang. My sister was there a week before and reported not just water coming into the place but also exploding light bulbs. Oh, hail, I thought, along with some more unprintable words. Besides, we […] Read more
If you write a letter, will we run it?
We are often asked if we run all the letters to the editor sent to us by readers. The answer is, almost. Not all letters make it to publication for a number of reasons. For example, if the letter is libelous, it’s toast. Libel is nasty, and besides, both the letter writer and its publisher […] Read more
New channel may save Lake Manitoba
Flying over the southern tip of Lake Manitoba last month provided a jarring 30,000 foot view of the water still rushing in from the Portage Diversion. Weeks after the controversy over breaching a dike at the exotically named Hoop and Holler Bend, the Manitoba flood situation has eased out of the national news cycle. Seeing […] Read more
