An archival photo from the 1930s of a man standing at the open-ended wooden box on the back of a truck next to a metal jug containing milk.

A cheesy story of ingenuity on the Prairies

When a company stumbles into a successful business model, it is sometimes said to have found a licence to print money. This fanciful phrase literally came true 94 years ago in the small town of LeRoy, Sask. A recent article on the Canada’s History website, which is run by Canada’s National History Society, recently told […] Read more

A close-up of a man's wide-open mouth with the blue, latex-gloved hands of a dentist holding two dental tools, about to work on his teeth.

So what’s the deal about Tuesday?

I recently heard something interesting on the radio about Tuesday. That may seem like a bit of a stretch, but bear with me. Tom Allen, the host of About Time on the CBC FM network, was talking about how many people overlook this particular day of the week. Monday, he said, is known for its […] Read more

I must admit that before our friend brought us a bag of bay leaves this fall, I had never thought about where this dried-out ingredient comes from. | Getty Images

Food’s origins can sometimes be a mystery

Discussions about public perceptions toward agriculture often include worries that many consumers no longer know where their food comes from. Stories abound of urban kids being asked where milk comes from and replying, “the store.” I remember a former Western Producer staff member who didn’t want to think too deeply about how meat ended up […] Read more


It started with a plan to roll our large stash of pennies and sell them to the bank. | Getty Images

Penny pinching goes to the next level

I’ve never been one of those people who are obsessed with getting a deal. If it means driving across town to save $4 on a toaster or three cents a litre on gas, I’m not interested. After all, my time is valuable and isn’t to be expended frivolously. However, after saying all that, you’ll never […] Read more

I don’t have many vivid memories of trick or treating in those days, I do remember pillowcases full of candy, so my parents obviously figured something out. | Getty Images

Memories of Halloween from yesteryear

Growing up on a farm meant we didn’t have the same access to the dense rows of neighbourhood candy distribution outlets (houses) as did my city friends at Halloween. But while I don’t have many vivid memories of trick or treating in those days, I do remember pillowcases full of candy, so my parents obviously […] Read more


The Jan. 12, 1961, issue was dominated by a war of words between farm groups and the federal government over Canadian Wheat Board regulations that would allow feed mills to buy grain directly from farmers outside the quota. | Bruce Dyck photo

Look back at the Jan. 12, 1961 issue

For the next year, this column will mark The Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. The Jan. 12, 1961, issue was dominated by a war of words between farm groups and the federal government over Canadian Wheat Board regulations that would allow feed […] Read more

One of the headlines on the front page of the Nov. 24, 1949, issue declared, “Drought stricken southwest calls mass meetings to study situation.” | Bruce Dyck photo

Look back at the Nov. 24, 1949, issue

For the next year, this column will mark The Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. The 1940s were almost over, and the Prairies were still grappling with drought. One of the headlines on the front page of the Nov. 24, 1949, issue declared, […] Read more

Two slices of bright red watermelon with several black seeds visible.

Whatever happened to all those seeds?

A question popped into my head earlier this summer while taking a refreshing fruit break: whatever happened to watermelon seeds? Besides possibly exposing the trivial nature of many of my thought processes, the question was also based in nostalgia. Some of my earlier memories involve using a butter knife to carefully remove as many of […] Read more


A bowl filled with cut-up fruit of all colours and varieties.

Plant rights: hopefully not coming soon

Dozens of protesters occupied a turkey barn on an Alberta Hutterite colony four years ago as part of a protest against animal agriculture. It was an example of what livestock producers have had to put up with in recent years as a small portion of the population tries to force the rest of us to […] Read more

A car dashboard showing "7.4 litres per 100 km" on the fuel economy screen.

A matter of measures

Our American neighbours often take it in the neck for their near-pathological aversion to the metric system. We in the Great White North, of course, bask in our sense of logic and reason, having adopted the metric system in 1975. Or at least we tried to; the official policy of metrification ceased in 1985. (I’ll […] Read more