COVID-19 continues its rampage through Hutterite colonies in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. On July 22, Manitoba reported seven of its eight new cases were on colonies. Saskatchewan reported its highest one-day total of the pandemic at 60 new cases and said 48 are on colonies in southwest and west-central areas. Forty-three of them are located in […] Read more
Farm Living
Alta. announces reopening plan for schools
Alberta students will be back in classrooms in September unless there are major changes in the current pandemic situation. Premier Jason Kenney today announced education plans under “scenario 1,” described as “near normal daily operations with health measures.” The province has developed a re-entry tool kit for parents and students that outlines health measures to […] Read more
COVID cases jump in Manitoba
The spread of COVID-19 through Hutterite colonies has moved east into Manitoba. The virus has already affected colonies in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Last week, the Manitoba government reported two colonies were in voluntary lockdown after five cases were found. They included a man and woman in their 60s, a man and woman in their 30s […] Read more
Report paints gloomy farm labour picture
Producers likely won’t be able to hire enough domestic labour to make up for the shortfall of temporary foreign workers arriving to work in Canada this year. A new report from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy argues replacing temporary foreign workers (TFW) who were unable or unwilling to come to Canada because […] Read more
On the trail of the real Sam McGee
The subject of the famous Klondike poem immortalized by Robert Service was actually a farmer from Beiseker, Alta.
Robert Service made him famous in his 1907 Klondike poem titled The Cremation of Sam McGee. However, the real Sam McGee was not from Tennessee, he did not perish in the Yukon winter, and he was not cremated on the “marge of Lake Lebarge” in a derelict stern wheeler. William Sam McGee was an actual […] Read more
There’s no end to what can be done with raspberries
From pies and beverages to salad dressing and meat sauces, the distinctive sweet but tart flavour of raspberries can be enjoyed all year long in so many ways. Raspberry vinegar Made with fresh or frozen raspberries, this vinegar is a flavourful and versatile ingredient that can be added to salad dressings, meat sauces and beverages. […] Read more
Alta. farms focus on growing vegetables and raising animals
BLACKFALDS, Alta. — There’s no doubt the Hoogland family in central Alberta will remember 2020. The worldwide experience of COVID-19 would be the main reason, which has, among other things, clarified the importance of food security. “There’s definitely more people interested in buying home-grown food,” says Sherry-Ann, who with her husband, Kurt, and three youngest […] Read more
Child’s fascination with birds fed love of nature
A girl’s feathered friends were the source of much wonder, from recently hatched eggs to divebombing hummingbirds
The sight of a big black crow flying lazily through the morning mists meant other birds would soon be arriving on their annual migration. The sound of a robin’s “cheer up, cheer up” was the surest sign of spring. When I was about three years old, my mother took me for a walk down to […] Read more
Restaurants enter a new era
A University of Guelph food industry analyst said one in 10 restaurants were forced to close because of the pandemic and will likely never reopen. Bruce McAdams, associate professor at the university’s School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, outlined the impact the pandemic has had on the industry during a recent webinar about food […] Read more
Father trying to regain access to children faces challenges
Q: I have been sober for about two years now. I enrolled in a treatment program way back then and with a lot of help from the counsellors and the support of my regular AA group, I have been able to break away from the old habits and that old crowd that got me into […] Read more
