TULLIBY LAKE, Alta. – At 83, Don Sidener still rides his horse every three hours during calving time to check on his herd.With a flashlight in hand at night and his horse, Buster, beneath a well-worn saddle, Sidener cuts out cows ready to calve and takes them to the barn for the big event.”That’s where […] Read more
Farm Living
Bruised but not beaten, rancher still saddles up
CFA’s first Quebec chief quits post in record time
In his short term as Canadian Federation of Agriculture president, longtime Quebec farm leader Laurent Pellerin set one precedent and one record.The precedent came when he was elected in 2009 as the first CFA leader from Quebec in the 73 year history of Canada’s largest farm lobby. He had been first vice-president for a decade […] Read more
Cattle just numbers in today’s larger herds
Poor cattle prices and rising production costs are changing the way producers care for their animals, says a veterinary professor from the University of Calgary. Not all of the changes are good.Eugene Janzen, who has practised veterinary medicine since the early 1970s, said Canadian beef producers are raising cattle more efficiently than ever.However, many herds […] Read more
Pulse campaign entices diners with dishes beyond the norm
SHERWOOD PARK, Alta. – There’s more to pulses than beans in chili or a handful of lentils in soup.As part of a pulse promotion, Edmonton chefs used pulses to create dishes such as golden lentil dahl with tofu mushroom red curry crème fraiche, salt cod and chickpea salad with roasted peppers on Belgian endive and […] Read more
B.C. egg producers focus on education, safety
DUNCAN, B.C. – There is a “do not enter” sign along the road leading into Ian and Jen Woike’s farm.As operators of the largest egg farm on Vancouver Island, the Woikes carefully guard the health of their 44,000 laying hens.But despite the dangers, the Woikes open their Duncan, B.C., farm to school and community tours […] Read more
Create a buzz with hot and cold ‘cappuccino bar’ refreshments
Grad and after-grad celebrations take many forms. In some urban centres, the ceremonies and after-grad parties are strictly controlled by schools and parents and are planned as dry or chem-free grads with no alcohol or drugs tolerated. In rural communities, the schools control the grad ceremonies and dances but after-grad celebrations are often planned by […] Read more
Poor choices for grad can have consequences
Grade 12 graduation is a time of excitement and celebration for graduands and their families. But it can also be the start of trouble that lasts a short time, trouble that lasts a lifetime or trouble that snuffs out a life.First, consider drinking. Grad and drinking have long been associated. Drinking alcoholic beverages can create […] Read more
Organizing graduation party that suits all takes planning
Q: My classmates and I are starting to talk about next year’s high school graduation. We are in Grade 11. We do not have to plan much until after Christmas but we want to be prepared. The big question is what to do about the alcohol that makes its way into the after-grad party that […] Read more
Missing the grandkids
Q: We have three children, two of whom are married and have three children of their own. One of our daughters lives 20 minutes away from us, the other lives farther away. One daughter is making life stressful for us. She seems to be more involved with her in-laws than she is with us. I […] Read more
Different justice system for military
Q: A Canadian soldier in Afghanistan is in trouble because he was alleged to have shot a wounded person to put him out of his misery. How can he be tried in a Canadian court for something that happened there?A: A soldier who commits an offence while enlisted is not necessarily subject to the same […] Read more
