Saskatchewan pharmacists will have greater prescribing authority by this summer, health minister Don McMorris said last week. Regulatory amendments to the Pharmacy Act bylaws will allow pharmacists to extend refills during a doctor’s absence and provide emergency supplies of prescribed medication. About 1,300 pharmacists practise in Saskatchewan. The minister said the changes put patients first […] Read more
Farm Living
Pharmacists will get new role
Scientists try to pin down prairie water supply
Mountain snow packs are natural reservoirs, holding back winter precipitation and releasing it over summer when water demand is high. However, the uncertainty of climate change has researchers questioning how reliable those stores may be in the future. John Pomeroy of the University of Saskatchewan said spring snow could be replaced by more rain that […] Read more
Food producers urged to share information with consumers
Rosetown, Sask., has locally grown carrots available almost all year at the grocery store. I am still enjoying carrots that look and taste garden fresh. In the region, there are also a number of U-pick berry farms so people can enjoy fresh or frozen berries. For years, our family purchased a tender, tasty side of […] Read more
Breeding success for 100 years
ARCOLA, Sask. – Satisfied customers create repeat sales for Blair Athol Polled Herefords in southeastern Saskatchewan. “That’s probably been the key to our success because our cattle have worked for people. I think that’s why we’re doing better all the time, because the cattle work,” said Duncan Lees. Duncan and his wife, Val, along with […] Read more
School holds fundraiser for Haiti
An annual Pennies for Poverty campaign started four years ago at a central Saskatchewan high school has raised more than $20,000 for charitable projects. Haiti became this year’s cause after an earthquake struck the island nation in mid-January. The unusual fundraising events at Rosthern Junior College included duct taping a teacher to the wall, shaving […] Read more
Help son find personal interests and make learning fun
Q: Our son in Grade 7 has no study habits. We have been trying to get him to understand that to get the marks he will need in the future, he is going to have to learn how to work, but he refuses to listen. He just plods along, wasting time reading science fiction and […] Read more
Talk to neighbour before pruning tree
A long-time Western Producer reader, well known within the agricultural community, recently telephoned me and thanked me for these columns. It was nice to chat about agriculture in general and this column in particular. He indicated a neighbour was having trouble with the adjoining yard owner’s overgrown tree hanging over into the next yard. The […] Read more
Be wary of buying land
Low interest rates mean farmers can afford to borrow a lot of money to buy land. But they could find that land investment is hard to carry if interest rates rise, a top American agricultural economist told the Manitoba Special Crops Symposium. “Don’t get caught in the cheap money trap,” said Virginia Tech’s David Kohl. […] Read more
Diners drink in scenery, enjoy local food
Peter Murphy lives near one of the best kept tourist secrets in Alberta. The deep red hoodoos and eroded rocks of Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park in central Alberta make it one of the most scenic spots in the province. Murphy hopes a gourmet meal served at the top of the buffalo jump Aug. […] Read more
College connects with producers to offer fresh, local fare
When Lilas Bielopotocky was asked to create a dinner in the University of Alberta’s Augustana campus cafeteria using only local food, she panicked. “I was scared, the staff was scared. Our food came in the back door. All of a sudden, we had to do the thinking again.” That was a year ago. Now the […] Read more
