Last week I discussed Ponzi schemes. This week I want to talk about a common variation, the pyramid scam. Many people fall for this type of con game and a lot of money is lost every year. These scams are not multi-level marketing setups. They share the same attributes, but true multi-level marketing organizations are […] Read more
Farm Living
Pyramid scams generate money only through recruitment – The Law
Gardening empowers students
There’s always been dirt under JoAnne Lapierre’s fingernails. That’s because she loves to grow things. The Kindergarten to Grade 2 teacher at Laird School in Laird, Sask., has been successful at passing that love of agriculture onto her students. “I am a teacher. My job is to empower children and to show them the potential […] Read more
Local solutions urged for international aid
The experiences of Canadian farmers might be able to make a huge difference in the lives of people in Africa. “(Farmers) are average citizens with special knowledge,” said Stephen Lewis, former United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Lewis said developing countries lack government funding for agriculture research and development. Canadian farmers can offset […] Read more
It’s the time of year to count the harvest – In the Garden
Despite a vicious lick of frost in June, July and August (but weirdly enough not a nip until the last day of September), a three week heat wave and a summer long drought, I managed to sneak more than 300 pounds of potatoes, 20 quarts of peas, countless packages of Swiss chard and 90 lb. […] Read more
Successful family farms need respect, responsibility, communication – Speaking of Life
Q: We have an 18-year-old son who started farming with his father while keeping a full-time job elsewhere. He is not lazy, but he does procrastinate and he tends to look for the easy way to do things. This does not go over with his father and often the two of them are locked into […] Read more
Oat genes gang up on rust
Agriculture Canada oat breeders are hoping to beat rust with a pyramid of resistance. They have discovered that former defences against a disease can be built into a new line of fortifications, even after they have been overwhelmed. “We’re hoping we can pyramid genes together,” Jennifer Mitchell Fetch said on a recent sunny afternoon as […] Read more
Public opinion polls on GM food called misleading
Public opinion polls consistently indicate that a large majority of Canadians are concerned about genetically modified material in their food and want mandatory labelling to alert them to its presence. But science writer Peter Calamai, director of the newly formed Science Media Centre of Canada, says that is misleading. Consumers do not think much about […] Read more
Fun begins with pumpkins
PILGER, Sask. – Pumpkins were weighed, smashed, juggled and catapulted at the fourth annual Pilger Pumpkin Festival Sept. 26. Among this year’s surprises was a medieval-looking catapult, built by the father and son team of Pat and Eric Pomedli of Pilger. The large wooden catapult was the brainchild of Eric, the festival’s chief pumpkin weighing […] Read more
Cornflower: the philosophical ranch
LONGVIEW, Alta. – Naturally raised, local beef is on the menu at Cornflower Ranch. Richard and Trudy Cutfield have been raising cattle for more than 20 years with a philosophy of clean air, water and naturally raised beef from their foothills ranch between Longview and Turner Valley in southwestern Alberta. They direct market as much […] Read more
New ideas for Thanksgiving dinner; top new products – TEAM Resources
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what makes our life enjoyable and worth living. Many of us get too busy in our everyday lives to stop and smell the roses. Thanksgiving reminds us to take note of what is important. While trying to be a good parent and teach my children gratitude, I decided […] Read more
