Q: I would like to know what I have to do to get my nine-year-old son to listen to me when I have something important to say to him. We want him to eat properly, to pick and choose nutritious foods, and to stay as far away from junk food as he can, but trying […] Read more
Farm Living
Couple takes circuitous route to Manitoba farm
On a Friday morning in February, the sky above Rapid City, Man., was a brilliant blue and the sunlight bounced off a layer of new snow. With the sun, the snow and the bright light, you almost needed a welding mask to look directly at the farm fields to the south. Joe Jager wasn’t complaining. […] Read more
Consider farmers in decisions: CFA
Despite calls from several agricultural groups to exempt grain drying from the carbon pricing system, federal Agricultural Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau remains unconvinced it is possible. She asked, and received, data from grain farmers and provinces starting in December on the impact of carbon pricing, but maintains it is not enough. “Weakening the pricing solution, I […] Read more
Online program talks about food’s origins
RED DEER — Project Agriculture is a new program to teach Alberta high school students about where their food comes from. Designed by the Alberta poultry, egg and dairy farmer organizations, the online education program is free with curriculum links, projects, questions and information for students from Grades 7-12. The program was launched in two […] Read more
Eating meatless burgers about identity – consumer researcher
More and more Canadians are eating meatless burgers. But why? Some say it’s healthier, many are concerned about animal welfare and others are worried about climate change. But the real reason may be deeper and more personal, says the leader of a public research firm in Ottawa. Food choices have become a critical part of […] Read more
Rural homelessness tackled in Alberta
The federal government commits $3.7 million to help remote communities gain access to services for those facing unstable housing
The federal government is providing $3.7 million in funds to help rural communities in Alberta address homelessness. The funds, provided through the government’s Reaching Home program, were awarded to 11 rural communities in Alberta. Each community will use the money to best fit the needs of their citizens, Dee Ann Benard, executive director of the […] Read more
Early garden patch grows into vegetable farm
On the Farm: Spring Creek Market has grown to 245 acres and is the biggest mixed vegetable producer in the province
OUTLOOK, Sask. — Dan Erlandson remembers when he became a farmer. He was 16 and he started a small vegetable garden on his parent’s farm to earn a little money and feed his entrepreneurial dreams. Now at 34, it makes sense that farming was always in his blood. “I probably couldn’t articulate it back then […] Read more
Surviving winter without modern conveniences
A lack of central heating, running water and reliable school buses didn’t faze hardy kids growing up on the farm decades ago
Five in the morning, minus 27, and I hear an owl softly hooting somewhere in the vicinity. It is no doubt perched on a nearby hydro pole, its form silhouetted by the light of a pale full moon. The image brings back memories of winter mornings on the farm where I grew up. Our farmhouse […] Read more
Real addiction treatment begins after rehab program ends
Q: Our son has been admitted to a residential treatment program for drug and alcohol addictions. We are happy that he is there and we want to do whatever we can to help him take on and overcome his addictions. I am not even sure what they are. He seems to drink a lot and […] Read more
Spring cleaning may be an old-fashioned concept but still makes sense
In earlier days, when homes were lit with kerosene lamps and heated by coal, it made sense to wash everything down when it was warm enough to open the windows. Spring cleaning may be old-fashioned but when the days are longer and most of us have more energy it’s a good excuse to whisk through […] Read more
