Lindsay Earle

The countdown to Christmas has begun and rural stores are bracing for the shopping rush. “It’s been fairly slow, a lot of looking, not buying,” said Shirley Lapensee, owner of Buds N’ Blooms Flowers and Gifts in Falher, Alta. “Usually I would say it picks up about Dec. 10.” Falher is near the larger community […] Read more

MACDOWALL, Sask. – It’s like stepping back in time. Marie Symes-Grehan’s log house, nestled on a quarter section of land south of Prince Albert, Sask., evokes an era when settlers arrived in the province. Heated by two wood fireplaces, Symes-Grehan’s home looks like a cozy location to hibernate, but it’s also where a small business […] Read more

A Black Angus heifer was the belle of the ball at the seventh annual Cinderella Classic in Saskatoon Nov. 17. The current-year heifer jackpot competition is held annually as part of the Saskatoon Fall Fair at Prairieland Exhibition Park. “It’s pretty neat, a real highlight to a long week,” said Robert Hamilton, owner of the […] Read more

Researchers say new generation co-ops are one way to help bolster the agricultural economy, so a pilot project is being introduced to foster growth of this co-op model. The Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan will carry out the six-month project. It will try to make sure people have the […] Read more

To survive, traditional co-ops must focus their activities and forge stronger relationships with the members, says the head of agricultural economics at the University of Saskatchewan. “Co-ops, like many organizations these days, need to be thinking very much about innovation and adaptation,” said Murray Fulton at the U of S. His research into adaptation of […] Read more

More than three years ago, the silvery green leaves and orange berries of the sea buckthorn shrub were touted as “the next best thing” in the prairie fruit industry. The hoopla has died, but the real work needed to create a viable industry carries on. A variety of products are entering the market using the […] Read more

McDonald’s, IBM and Kraft are names people can immediately associate with a product. Their hamburgers, computers and macaroni are easily identifiable because they are heavily marketed in television, radio and print. How are small rural businesses to keep up with these Goliaths? “It’s all about your reputation,” said Louise Yates, vice-president of communications for Farm […] Read more

The provincial co-ordinator of British Columbia’s agricultural awareness website says starting a site for a business or an association is easier than it looks. Nico Human told delegates at the recent National Agricultural Awareness Conference that the web is an excellent way to connect with people, customers and industries from around the globe. But he […] Read more

Olds College in Alberta is qualifying the results of this year’s steer tests that found Belgian Blues to be the most profitable cattle breed. “Unfortunately, what happened was we market out cattle in two different groups just because they weren’t all finished at the same time,” said Trevor Hamilton, co-ordinator of the steer-a-year study. “The […] Read more

The Canadian Texel Association was officially launched this month and association president Fred Brettell says the executive board is excited about the new sheep group. The association began after a meeting at the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina last fall. Brettell said the group wants to be a unifying force for Texel producers throughout Canada. […] Read more