When Ben Martens Bartel was a kid, it was no problem for him to bike to his neighbours’ farms to play. It wasn’t very far. At the time, there were four occupied yards within three kilometres of his farm. Fast forward three decades. Today, there are only four yards within a 12-km radius of Martens […] Read more
Tag Archives Farm Fresh
The farmer as fashion chic: here’s how to start a trend
Last Halloween, my two-year-old niece wanted to dress as a farmer. Her mom wondered what kind of farmer. One like Aunty Nikki with vegetables and chickens and bees, or a farmer like Grandpa, with cows?” she asked. My niece opted for “Pampa.” But when she did dress up as a farmer, she looked nothing like […] Read more
Producer channels inner beaver to keep water on his farm
As a keystone species in North America, the beaver is so much more than just a hat with legs. It is indisputably one of the most important and influential species, responsible not only for biodiverse ecosystems, but also for drought prevention. Takota Coen, a fourth-generation farmer, educator, and carpenter, has been channelling his inner beaver […] Read more
Number of female farmers has risen in Canada since 2011
At Lazy T Farm, a holistic cattle ranch near Halkirk, Alta., and a short drive from my own family farm, the future really is female. Jenna Hauck and her mother, Clara Nibourg, represent the fourth and fifth generations of women in Nibourg’s family to take over the farm. With that kind of history — a […] Read more
Don’t let Hollywood’s poor image of farmers rub off
Judy Hopps is tiny and adorable and has dreamed her entire, short life of being the first ever bunny police officer. As a child and a rabbit in the Disney animated feature Zootopia, she’s told by the local bully (an unintelligent, overall-wearing fox) she’ll never be anything other than a “stupid, carrot-farming, dumb bunny.” Her […] Read more
Passing on the family farm takes nurturing of the family
I’m a millennial. I don’t buy diamonds, or napkins or cereal. I lack manners. I am entitled, and I am impatient and I can’t seem to stay in one place, let alone work one job for long enough to be taken seriously. (Or so the media would have me believe). I am also one of […] Read more
