Retired farmers Jerry and Denise were catching up with their friend, Ross, at the local coffee shop. They’d covered the weather (could use a rain), the crops (not bad, but some worrisome reports of armyworm east of town), and they’d shared the latest cute grandkid stories. The server topped off their cups and moved down […] Read more
Author Archives
Woman stayed with abusive husband for love of a farm
Frank and Sheila had been married almost 50 years when he died five years ago. Seated at her retro red chrome table, in her sunny farmhouse kitchen, Sheila, a vibrant 73-year-old, looked back on her life and her marriage with mixed feelings. The young couple bought their first farmland soon after their marriage. An acquaintance […] Read more
Wills make divorce easier
It goes without saying that farmers and all adults should have a precise and up-to-date will, as well as other agreements in place at all times. A 2012 family law case in Ontario illustrates this point. Ronald Carrigan had been separated from his wife for 12 years when he died unexpectedly at the age of […] Read more
Two women made grey divorce a little less grey
Helen Rathwell and Irene Murdoch went to court in separate cases and changed the way farming assets are divided
Hypothetical couple Greg and Mariah married in 1980. Their marriage was somewhat unconventional in that while they both worked on the farm — they bought things together, shared the housework, yard work, garden work and they both looked after child care — Greg did most of the housework, yard work, garden work and child care, […] Read more
Remarriage affects farm succession
Sam and Jeannie marry and produce one child, Don. Now an adult, Don rents the farm from his parents with the plan that he will eventually inherit it all. Sam and Jeannie divorce. Jeannie remarries. Now what? Are the wills written by Jeannie and Sam automatically made invalid by the divorce? By her remarriage? At […] Read more
All-age interactions are important
In its conclusions, the writers of the Revera report offer this advice: “By not accepting self-limiting beliefs and unintentionally contributing to outdated age-based stereotypes, you can help others to remember that you are uniquely you. Don’t let yourself be defined by a number.” Keep interacting with people of all ages, advised Dr. Amy D’Aprix, a […] Read more
Family establishes on-farm cemetery
Don Eirickson acknowledges that his family’s decision to establish a cemetery on the farm may not be one everyone agrees with. “Some people might think we’re a little bit off the wall but we’ve never regretted it,” he says. The Eirickson family cemetery is on a slight knoll overlooking a lush green pasture and the […] Read more
Who can buy your farm?
Rob and Grace were a few years away from retirement when one of the “neighbour kids”, who was now an adult, pulled into the yard one day fresh from the rigs and driving a shiny new truck with an offer to buy their farm — a very substantial offer. Rob might have gone for it. […] Read more
Ownership trends tracked
A study involving three universities tracks the changing pattern of farmland ownership in three Saskatchewan rural municipalities. The work was conducted by Andre Magnan at the University of Regina in collaboration with Annette Desmarais at the University of Manitoba and Darrin Qualman and Nettie Wiebe from the University of Saskatchewan. It is titled Land grabbing […] Read more
Brain games enlisted to combat mental aging
If regular physical exercise can keep our bodies fit, can brain training games do the same for our brains? Can specially designed games, playable on a computer or smartphone, give us the brain equivalent of a well-toned body? As with many questions, it depends on who you ask. Challenging your brain supports brain function and […] Read more
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