Lucille Scott paints what she grew up with but does so on a unique canvas of goose feathers. “I love painting wildlife, scenics,” she said. Her father was a labourer who moved his family from farm to farm before settling into one of their own in 1972 near Big River, Sask. As an adult, the […] Read more
Farm Living
It’s important to eat well to sleep well over the holidays
Keep yourself in good shape for the holiday overindulgences by eating and sleeping well. That may be easier said than done but Alysa Dobson with SleepWell Consulting Inc. suggests you start by examining your food and drink choices. “Avoiding caffeine and alcohol near bedtime will lead to a more restorative sleep. These substances keep the […] Read more
Aid work shapes farmers
MONTMARTRE, Sask. — Clayton and Carrie Kotylak have witnessed first-hand the impact that farming has on the world. They volunteered in developing countries with Habitat for Humanity, and they know that what they produce feeds the world. “While in Jordan, I ate with families and they were eating lentils and peas and I was thinking, […] Read more
Alberta boy starts petition against labour bill
Andrew Meinen says the proposed provincial legislation would restrict his ability to help his parents on their farm
Andrew Meinen, 11, objects to an Alberta government farm safety bill, and he is doing something about it. He developed a petition and is soliciting signatures from people who object to Bill 6, the NDP government’s farm safety legislation. “Why should kids like me, under 14, not be allowed to work on the farm,” Meinen […] Read moreHelp son understand emotions to reduce anxiety
Q: Our 13-year-old son is at that touchy and edgy stage in adolescence where he over reacts to everything that is going on around him. He says that his dad and I pick on him too much, that his younger sister annoys him, that school is a waste of time and that he would fire […] Read more
Enjoy a taste of tradition during Hanukkah
My favourite invitation of the year is to share in Hanukkah celebrations. My Jewish friend’s uncle is the master latke maker in her family and the hazy smoke-filled tiny kitchen is the hub of activity on the first night of celebrations. Food cooked in oil is symbolic. After defeating their enemies, the Maccabees wanted to […] Read more
Gender gap widening in family farming
The Food and Agriculture Organization defines family farming as “a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production, which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labour. The family and the farm are linked, co-evolve and combine economic, environmental, reproductive, social and cultural functions” It follows that family […] Read more
Visit to old school sparks feelings of community
Residents in Valley Plain, Sask., maintain the building that now hosts concerts, meetings, parties and quilting bees
VALLEY PLAIN, Sask. — It was a time when cursive writing with anything other than the right hand and speaking in your mother tongue were punishable offences. Robert Govan, now in his 90s, recalled getting the strap at the Valley Plain one-room schoolhouse. “It was a piece of leather and it hurt,” he said of […] Read more
Cheese makers win young farmer award
Alberta cheese makers were named co-winners in Canada’s annual Outstanding Young Farmers competition in Edmonton Nov. 21. Patrick and Cherylynn Bos of Ponoka, Alta., raise 1,400 dairy goats in a milk and cheese processing business, Rock Ridge Dairy. The couple processes their own and other producers’ milk also. During peak production, they make one and […] Read more
Timing was right for couple to join farm and grow herd
EDAM, Sask. — The satisfaction and privilege that comes from toiling together on the farm are special, said Melissa Stuart. “At the end of the day, you still go home and you’re still a family. I don’t know if a lot of kids see that anymore,” she said. Melissa and her husband, Mitch, operate Stuart […] Read more
