Centennial project | Conditions harsh in ‘soddies’
BEISEKER, Alta. — Pungent earthy smells of a cave-like dwelling were part of pioneers’ first experiences living in sod houses on the Canadian Prairies. “If it rained two days outside, it rained one day inside,” said Leah Uffelman, vice-president of the Beiseker Station Museum Society. It built a sod house to mark Alberta’s centennial year […] Read moreStories by Karen Morrison
New generation keeps close ties with neighbours
Farm evolution | Kerr family of Strasbourg, Sask., continues to share equipment and support local marketing group
STRASBOURG, Sask. — In an era when farmers can get market data delivered to their smartphones and tablets while sitting in the cabs of their tractors, Darryl Kerr remains loyal to a local marketing group. The Saskatchewan family’s century farm has been sustained by neighbours helping neighbours, he said. “A group of us get together […] Read more
Raising happy bees comes with headaches
Predators, weather A treatment for varroa mites proved fatal for some hives while a bear discovered others
TYNDALL, Man. — Beekeeper Jack Lee was first bitten by his hobby as a teen in northern Manitoba, where he encountered bees making their home in a hollowed out tree. “It’s a fascinating animal to watch,” said Lee. Decades later, he keeps his hives safe within the confines of an electric fence on his 80 […] Read more
Film company enjoys bringing history to life
INDIAN HEAD, Sask. — Greg Miller never tires of looking at old photos. It’s his business at Film Rescue International, but it’s also a passion that started in childhood with the purchase of a Rollei SL 35 camera. “You never get bored with it,” he said. “I never get up in the morning and say, […] Read more
New generation at the helm of family farm
Returning home | Young family believes crop diversity will help ensure the future of 103-year-old family farm
DRUMHELLER, Alta. — For Cassandra and Calvin Russell, choosing a vacation is easier than swatting a mosquito on their farm near Alberta’s badlands. That’s because Calvin’s parents, Craig and Janice, have properties in Manitoba and British Columbia and at a central Alberta lake. After farming for 46 years, the elder Russells let go of the […] Read more
Couple can’t see the forest for the sap
Tapping birch trees | Producing syrup seen as sustainable living
GRAND MARAIS, Man. — Stones and tree stumps litter the winding trail that an all-terrain vehicle takes through a birch forest from which a unique taste of Canada is extracted each year. Birch syrup is a small but growing operation for Rory and Glenda Hart, who are among fewer than a dozen producers in Canada. […] Read more
Readers wanted to know … Oddie found answers
Community service was the common thread running through Emmie Oddie’s long life on the Prairies. The former Western Producer food and lifestyles columnist, who died July 6 at the age of 97, offered homemaking advice, lobbied for home economist positions in Saskatchewan districts and fought to better the lives of rural women globally. Kathryn Groshong […] Read more
Rural women’s groups seek new recruits
ROSSER, Man. — Combining fun with travel and education is one way the Manitoba Women’s Institute could revive its declining membership. Gisela Nolting said that was the formula for success in her native Germany, where she first became involved in the rural women’s group. She said the agriculture department plays a significant organizational role in […] Read more
Order of Canada recipient Emmie Oddie dies at 97
Longtime Western Producer food and lifestyles columnist Emmie Oddie died July 6. A funeral is planned for July 17 in Regina. I’d Like to Know, a weekly column she wrote from 1949-1995, offered help with day-to-day living and activities in the farm household. “In my writing, there was a great feeling of this is one […] Read more
Emmie Oddie, longtime columnist, Order of Canada recipient, dies
Longtime Western Producer food and lifestyles columnist Emmie Oddie, died July 6. A funeral is planned for July 17 in Regina. I’d Like to Know, a weekly column she wrote from 1949-1995, offered help with day-to-day living and activities in the farm household. “In my writing, there was a great feeling of this is one […] Read more
