Make the first meal of the year a tasty one and make it a family affair. Each person can be in charge of one item. Fresh, dried and home-canned fruits add a bright note to the meal. Coffee is a must but perhaps try the rich, hot chocolate recipe for a change. After a lazy […] Read more
Farm Living
Light displays make Christmas holidays merry and bright
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected many of our plans this Christmas. One bright spot is drive-through light displays where we can safely experience the magic of the holiday season from our vehicles. Here are a few options from across the Prairies, keeping in mind that anything could be altered or cancelled on short notice […] Read more
Taking the train was a Christmas adventure
The trip seemed like it took forever, but there was the ultimate holiday payoff at the end of the day — Grandma’s house
Christmas is often a time of memories, and for most folks, good memories. I have some special memories of this special time of year when I was just a young boy, growing up on the family farm a half-mile south of the hamlet of Dapp, Alta., where I still reside. The railroad runs through our […] Read more
Christmas pageant fitting sendoff for school
There was nothing special about that November afternoon in 1968 — cold, windy and snowy. Then Mrs. Templeton returned from the school office with an announcement. She proceeded to say she had chosen a Christmas pageant and she would list off who would get what part. Whoa. The long-awaited, much anticipated Christmas season must be […] Read more
Come up with new ways to celebrate Christmas this year
Q: This is such a strange year, what with the pandemic. I am wondering how people are going to take time to honestly celebrate Christmas. Charlie and I will not have a problem. Our children have long since grown and left home, as have many of their children. Apart from the occasional family photo we […] Read more
Contest winners help cope with COVID
The TEAM column, which can be found every week in The Western Producer’s Farm Living section, ran a contest this fall looking for reader thoughts on how to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The winners are Beverly Biggeman of Redcliff, Alta., and Tom Shoebottom of Englehart, Ont. Betty Ann Deobald’s column in the Jan. 7 […] Read more
Most popular stories on producer.com for 2020
It’s been a record-setting year for traffic on the Western Producer’s website, www.producer.com. We’ve tracked more than 5 million pageviews on the site in the past year, and we’ve still got a little more than a week to go. Here are the top 10 stories on our site for 2020: 10. Online auction shatters record […] Read more
UFA pays bonuses to front-line employees
One of Western Canada’s oldest agricultural co-operatives is not only giving its frontline employees a bonus for helping it weather the COVID-19 pandemic, it has donated more than $140,000 to help rural residents during the crisis. “We want to give back to the communities in which our members live and which we serve,” said president […] Read more
Get creative with casual Christmas charcuterie boards
Charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) is translated from French meaning “delicatessen.” The term often refers to an assortment of meats paired with cheese, fruit, bread or crackers along with dips and sauces, creatively displayed on a board or serving dish. With holiday meals being smaller and more casual this year, arranging the food on a large platter […] Read more
Snowbird finds a way to head south
Many retired Canadians are staying at home this year, but some have figured out how to make the trip work for them
CAMROSE, Alta. — Despite COVID-19 and a closed border, Gord Johnsen still flew to Arizona for the winter without the rest of the Canadian snowbirds. The warm weather was a draw, but close friends in the community of Gilbert, Arizona, is the real draw. “I have great friends,” said Johnsen, who has travelled to the […] Read more
