On April 26, a thief or thieves smashed my rear window and grabbed my backpack. They likely had no idea there was about $10,000 worth of camera gear inside of it. I should have known better and I was thankful for insurance, but the disruption caught me off guard and pushed me into a state […] Read more
Stories by Toban Dyck
Rethinking how to approach sustainability, climate change
Climate change — are you still reading? Sustainability — am I now in the recycling bin? How about the word carbon — what does that elicit? These words have frenzied the agriculture industry. Correction: these words are currently frenzying the agriculture industry. They are important. They are divisive. And they are words that long ago […] Read more
Buying used farm equipment is not always an easy decision
“It looks good, but I would stay away from those openers, if I were you,” said one farmer. “Check the tank. That model has one that is prone to rust,” cautioned another. “Ooh. Poly packers. You can do what you want, but I used those once, and they didn’t properly close the rows,” said someone […] Read more
Ag requires better understanding of history if it is to thrive
Do you remember that kid in high school, the one you and your friends jokingly called a nerd and then, also jokingly, admitted that he or she will likely be successful and popular later in life? Can you now hear yourself saying, “we’ll probably be begging her for a job when we’re older?” What do […] Read more
No sinister conspiracy exists within ‘mainstream media’
I’d sooner believe the worst of mainstream media than the most polished Facebook campaign. Distrust of mainstream media is becoming widespread. At worst, this has allowed dangerous sources of information to rise to prominence among people who either lack the tools to think critically or who willfully ignore those tools in favour of advancing personal […] Read more
Press send, engage the world and then reap the whirlwind
I do not have a blue checkmark next to my name on Twitter. But, oh boy, do I want one. The checkmark is Twitter’s way of verifying to everyone else on the platform that you are, indeed, who you say you are. I’m savvy enough on social media to sense what is forbidden and what […] Read more
Cybersecurity starts by better understanding technology
I recently purchased a lens capable of capturing with mesmerizing clarity the individual hairs on the nuthatches eating from the feeder outside our dining-room window. It’s just one more piece of technology in my ever-expanding collection — a collection for which I make no apologies. Camera gear, whether video, drone or still, is something I […] Read more
Changing people’s minds is not as easy as one might think
He hemmed and hawed, eventually settling on something decidedly less hoppy than the double-IPA I ordered. We hadn’t chatted in person for a while. He’s an agriculture writer, too, and he is interested in many of the same existential characteristics of the agriculture industry as I am. Before you think, “there goes Toban, summoning words […] Read more
Blind spots: I’ll watch for mine if you’ll watch for yours
My canola sold for $23.17. I didn’t have a lot of it, though. That field did not get enough water. But this is not what I wish to write about. This is my first column of what I hope will be many for The Western Producer. There will be plenty of time to discuss the […] Read more
