On the Farm: Family buys from a local grain terminal and processes it in a commercial kitchen in a local community hall
There have been times when acres of blooming mustard decorated the fields at Luco Farms near Lethbridge. Those acres formed the basis of a business in prepared mustards that is now operated by the father and son team of Robert and Ben Luco. The two have prairie roots, and “prairie” is in the name of […] Read moreFarm Living
Growing a salad indoors is a feasible option this winter
For the last three winters, I have grown my own salad makings under grow lights that I start my bedding plants under in the spring. At the time, I could only find Commercial T5 Fixtures at Vesey Seeds, a mail order seed company located in Charlottetown, P.E.I. These fixtures are now readily available at numerous […] Read more
Magazine launched to give young writers a voice
Wheat & Laurel gives teenagers a chance to see their work in print and receive monthly feedback and critique sessions
CAMROSE, Alta. — As a bookish kid growing up in rural Saskatchewan, Amielle Christopherson searched for a community of kids like her. She attended Sage Hill’s Teen Writing experience, a week-long writing camp held in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Regina. For three summers she spent time meeting teens who liked to write. “It was nice […] Read more
To new pastures – photo essay
Photo essay | The Greaves family picked a nice day recently to move their herd to a new corn grazing pasture near Deerwood, Man. Temperatures were above zero and the wind was calm. | Jeannette Greaves photos
The Greaves family picked a nice day recently to move their herd to a new corn grazing pasture near Deerwood, Man. Temperatures were above zero and the wind was calm. | Jeannette Greaves photos
Christmas often required ingenuity in 1940s
Homemade treats, improvised ‘fireplaces’ and creative tree decorating helped make the prairie holidays a festive time
I thumbed through the Eaton’s catalogue until it was dog-eared, my wish list for Christmas circled with far more things than I would ever receive, but it didn’t hurt to hope. In the 1940s, the festive seasons were bright occasions in otherwise dreary winters on the farm. The smell of spicy fruitcake emanating from the […] Read more
Gift-giving marked departure from childhood
With a dollar in his hand, this prairie youngster’s introduction to the world of giving proved to be a ‘puzzling’ experience
I don’t recall much about December 1968 — I was only eight and busy trying to ace Grade 3. Girls held no allure yet — I couldn’t even spell puberty — and I had little money. However, as Christmas approached, I zeroed in on one goal — polish my image in the quest for that […] Read more
Ice cream outdoors — what could go wrong?
The long and arduous task of making homemade ice cream turned into a perilous venture for these three prairie women
On a winter’s night back in the 1940s, there was a party in full swing at my parents’ farmhouse. Fiddles, guitars and a banjo were reeling off western tunes while square dancers in jeans and plaid shirts worked up a sweat that fogged the windows. It was downright cold outside, as only a December night […] Read more
Homemade mints for Christmas
At the end of a family meal, we’d lean back, stuffed like turkeys. While conversation and coffee or tea circulated the table, a pretty dish of after dinner mints stole its way around as well. Our Aunt Mattie often brought her delicious homemade candy when she joined us for a special meal. We groaned but […] Read more
Slowing down means regaining control of one’s life
Q: Sometimes I think that there must be a conspiracy between my physician and my wife. Both of them tell me that I have to slow down. I can see the point. I am 67 years old, a touch overweight and even though I don’t smoke now I faithfully committed myself to nicotinic addictions for […] Read more
Old grain elevator ready to rock
Sask. band turns prairie skyscraper into a rehearsal space and venue where local musicians can hold private concerts
ASQUITH, Sask. — Nearly a century of grain dust and chaff has been loosened by the thumping rhythm of an electric bass guitar inside Asquith’s last standing grain elevator. Not since thousands of trucks and millions of tons of grain passed over its weigh scales has the old wooden sentinel resonated with such purpose. Nicknamed […] Read more
