Spring signals a time for a refreshing change in ingredients in our menus. For me, spring often means using lemon. Whether it is their bright happy colour in the kitchen, their vitamin C content for immunity or their “pucker-up taste” in our palette, lemons are a welcome addition to recipes. That good salad This recipe […] Read more
Farm Living
Shift seen in farming’s gender roles
A major farm investment firm has noticed parents have become less fixated on passing on their operations to just sons
Agriculture is often seen as a traditional parts of the Canadian economy. But quietly, at a farm level, some of the old gender roles have loosened up, observes an investor in Canadian farms. “We see more young women as part of the succession plans than we did 10 years ago,” said Joelle Faulkner, chief executive […] Read more
Important to act on information about suicidal thoughts
Q: Last Thursday our daughter came home from school very upset. Apparently, one of her classmates took our daughter aside and told her that she was seriously considering suicide. The young girl in question insisted that our daughter swear confidence. This was to be a secret. In fact, our daughter tried to honour the commitment […] Read more
Sask. couple ‘flip cows’ to make a living
On the Farm: Jocelyn and Garret Poletz usually average 400 to 500 cows at one time and this winter had about 1,000
The whirlwind of the last few years belies the patience it took for Garret and Jocelyn Poletz to get where they are. Establishing their own cattle operation south of Biggar, Sask., about halfway to Rosetown, was a process of making plans and then changing them. Following the arrival of three daughters, three different houses and […] Read more
Birds become welcome hobby during COVID-19
The experience of bird watching was introduced gradually as pandemic restrictions took hold and life slowed down
I never thought I would become one of those people who sat by the window and watched birds coming and going in the tree in the front yard. The flowering crabapple is perfectly positioned outside the living room window for just such an activity. It’s so perfect, we have set two armchairs next to the […] Read moreLong-awaited accordion produced a miracle of music
Of all the instruments stacked beside the piano in our living room, my brother’s big Hohner accordion was my favourite. If only I had a smaller one just like it. Eaton’s mail order catalogue was most accommodating, featuring a little 12 bass accordion on its pages. Not only that, but customers could make full use […] Read more
Twine added to bag and jug recycling
The federal government is investing $1.1 million in Cleanfarms, a non-profit company that helps farmers recycle pesticide containers, grain bags and other plastic waste. Part of the funds will support a pilot project in Saskatchewan, to collect baler twine for recycling. In Saskatchewan, alone, farmers use about 1,100-1,300 tonnes of baler twine per year. Cleanfarms […] Read more
COVID worsens world hunger crisis
Canadian Foodgrains Bank says pandemic has been as much an economic crisis as health crisis in the developing world
People in the developed world are eagerly awaiting vaccination dates and yearning for the pandemic shackles to come off. But for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world, where most of humanity lives, little has changed in terms of fear, anxiety and struggle. The western world might soon be back to “normal,” but […] Read more
Farm family lives where they work — literally
On the Farm: The Smyths have set up their home in the operation’s shop/barn as a way to ease the costs of developing a new farmyard
What do you get when you cross a shop with a house? A “shouse,” of course. That’s the nickname Tyler and Suzanne Smyth have applied to their workplace and family home. The building is actually a pole shed they bought a few years ago, along with two quarters of land at Cantuar, Sask. The property […] Read more
Individual spending plans big part of managing finances
Everyone’s financial circumstances are different, but during the COVID-19 pandemic the need for having control of your finances has become more apparent. Whether you are a producer, entrepreneur, wage earner, family, student or senior, a good understanding of personal and family financial goals and expenses is essential to reduce stress and maintain control of your […] Read more
