When it comes to telematics, that special set of data that helps monitor the performance of big equipment, acceptance by farmers appears to be coming in fits and starts, with the emphasis on the younger generation. The challenge, several dealers say, is to provide training and follow-up to farmers who are now buying equipment with […] Read more
Farm Living — page 285
Sensor sensibility
Canadian farmers are dithering when it comes to using specialized sensors, according to a Glacier FarmMedia survey. In an online survey filled out by 428 farmers from late August to mid-October, only seven percent of respondents said they have fully adopted the use of specialized sensors, and only 20 percent are actively testing them. In […] Read more
Family diversifies, direct sells to allow ranch lifestyle
BRIDESVILLE, B.C. — Art Harfman recalled the moment he met his soul mate at a 4-H achievement day as a teenager. “As soon as I laid my eyes on her, I said to myself, ‘when I’m ready to marry, that’s the girl it will be,’ ” he said. A decade later, he married Norah and […] Read more
Toppings and dips for casual Christmas entertaining
Easy entertaining is the least stressful way to manage the holiday season. Make these ahead and keep in the refrigerator for those unexpected drop-in guests. Keep a selection of crackers on hand. Cheese is loved by almost everyone and dried fruits, honey and nuts complete a welcoming spread. Spinnakers Baked Cheese This was served at […] Read more
Old church comes alive with candle light service
MIRROR, Alta. — A congregation breathed life into an abandoned northeastern Alberta church by holding a candlelight Christmas service this month. St. Monica’s Anglican log cabin church was built in Mirror and shut down 32 years ago but this summer area residents finished refurbishing it. In the 1990s, Mirror museum members took on the restoration […] Read more
Christmas festival lifts spirits, brings community together
MORINVILLE, Alta. — A Morinville museum exhibit opened a door into Christmas 100 years ago during the Alberta town’s recent Light Up the Night Festival. It included popcorn garlands, porcelain dolls, old teddy bears sitting around a tea set, ornaments made out of yarn and cookies and candles used as tree lights. “They had real […] Read more
How to help son work through nighttime fears
Q: After scrimping and saving for a long time, my husband and I were able to put enough money together to buy a decent sized house for our family. It is great but we have run into a problem. Since we moved into our new home about four months ago, our six-year-old has developed some […] Read more
Adventures of finding the ‘perfect tree’ bring smile
The tree is the focal point of any home at Christmas, often displaying sentimental ornaments and always creating cheerfulness and excitement. For many families, bringing home the tree is a happy and much anticipated tradition. When I was growing up on a farm near Marwayne, Alta., it was our usual habit to pack up hot […] Read more
OYF nominees share tips on succession
PENTICTON, B.C. — Careful planning, honest conversations, trust and respect are keys to successful generational farm transfers. In interviews during the Outstanding Young Farmer national conference in Penticton Nov. 30-Dec. 3, provincial nominees shared these tips from their farms’ succession plans. Lauchie and Jolene MacEachern of Folly River dairy farm at Debert, N.S., who gradually […] Read more
Challenges bring opportunities to Okanagan growers
OLIVER, B.C. — Access to a reliable labour force and ever increasing production costs have challenged British Columbia fruit growers in recent years, but a proliferation of wineries in the south Okanagan Valley has also presented opportunities. Heide Held operates Hillside Orchards U-Pick and Farm Market with her parents, Guenther and Mary, near Oliver. The […] Read more
