Q: I farm but also do crop insurance work. I tried to deduct expenses on my tax return but the deductions were disallowed because I am considered an employee rather than an independent contractor. What is the difference? A: The easy part to answer is the effect. If you are an independent contractor and not […] Read more
Farm Living
Employment type affects deductions – The Law
Lifetime Sask. farmer stays close to rural roots
This was the first year since 1974 that Greg Marshall wasn’t actively involved in farming his own land, so he welcomed the opportunity to get his hands dirty on his son-in-law’s farm near Young, Sask., come harvest time. “It was a great opportunity to sit in a combine and enjoy a bountiful crop,” said Marshall, […] Read more
4-H retains members, recruits new ones
4-H Clubs in Saskatchewan are celebrating another success after conducting a recruitment and retention drive aimed at increasing 4-H membership. “The Saskatchewan 4-H community is absolutely amazing,” said Valerie Pearson, executive director with the Saskatchewan 4-H council. “Give our clubs a challenge and they not only step up to the plate, but raise the bar […] Read more
Wind turbine noise poses no health risks: study
The sound from wind turbines has no negative impact on people, says a worldwide, peer reviewed review of literature on the health effects of wind turbines. The American and Canadian Wind Energy Association established a panel to review the current literature after concerns about sound from wind turbines and their adverse health consequences. The panel […] Read more
Average home uses 329 litres per day
Canadians use a lot of water. Environment Canada says the average Canadian household used 329 litres of water a day in 2004, compared to the European average of 200 litres per day and 10 to 20 litres per day in sub-Saharan Africa. It seems Canadians have something to learn about water conservation. Three families in […] Read more
Managing water that falls from the sky
Cloud seeding is a growing industry around the world, aimed at harvesting rain and snow. In Canada, however, the emphasis has been more on softening the blow inflicted by hailstorms. Cloud seeding is a way of modifying weather by attempting to draw more moisture out of rain clouds, or change the precipitation that falls. It […] Read more
Measuring tools: probes, meters and pillows
It’s easy to look out the window and conclude that four inches of snow fell overnight, but accurately measuring snow depth is challenging, says Alf Warkentin, director of flood forecasting for Manitoba Water Stewardship. “It’s never as accurate as we’d like it to be. The snow is very difficult to measure.… You can do a […] Read more
Gardiner dam tops the list
Spring thaw isn’t on the minds of most Canadians yet, but water forecasters have been thinking about melting snow for months. “Nov. 1 is called the start of the new water year because basically any precipitation that falls, for the most part, from (November) on in is going to be snow and won’t show up […] Read more
Irrigation allows production of 40 crops
The first homesteaders to settle in what is now southern Alberta realized that irrigation would make the difference to their survival. By the late 19th century, private groups were building canals and water delivery systems, and in 1910 the Canadian Pacific Railway embarked on two projects south of Calgary called the Eastern Block and the […] Read more
Little action on Meridian, Highgate proposals
Hundreds of dams divert and block prairie rivers. Information on websites run by provincial government water agencies indicates there are 45 dams in Saskatchewan owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, 200 in Alberta owned by the provincial government, along with 1,200 privately owned, and 15 hydroelectric dams in Manitoba, with more in the […] Read more
