Regular readers of this column will know that I have spent the last year writing about old editions of the Western Producer as part of this paper’s year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary. Starting with the Aug. 27, 1923, issue, I jumped ahead every two years for the next 50 weeks until I reached the […] Read more
Tag Archives WP100
Creation of Prairie breadbasket required luck, research
It required luck, determination, disappointment and research for Canadian prairie farmers to develop their reputation as consistent producers of high-quality wheat ideal for bread making. In the late 1800s, Canadian homesteaders often brought bags of seeds with them for planting. Unfortunately, these seeds usually were not suited to the harsh prairie climate, early frosts, plant […] Read more
Farming, rural life make great strides in last 100 years
As the celebration of the Western Producer’s 100th anniversary year ends, it is interesting to look at comparisons from the 1920s to the 2020s. According to Statistics Canada, in 1921 there were 119,451 farms in Saskatchewan. In 2021 there were 34,128. The average farm size was 369 acres in 1921 and in 2021, the average […] Read more
Newspaper centre of farm family life
One of the author’s prized possessions is a metal box in which her mother stored clippings from the Western Producer
I have a longstanding love affair with the Western Producer. The paper started arriving in my family’s mailbox a few years before I was born. I joined the family in the late 1950s, the last of four children. My parents operated a typical mixed farm. The Holstein dairy cows supplemented our income and, as my […] Read more
WP’s history remains accessible
Has it been a year already? Last August, the Western Producer began a year-long celebration marking our 100th anniversary. This included a variety of initiatives and events throughout the year, and our writers enthusiastically participated in the festivities. We featured many articles and columns looking back at our history as well as the history of […] Read more
Look back at Aug. 17, 2023, issue
This column is part of a series that marks the Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. Flipping through the pages of the Aug. 17, 2023, issue of the Western Producer reminds us that last year was another dry one. Stories in that issue’s […] Read more
Look back at Aug. 5, 2021, issue
This column is part of a series that marks the Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. Another year, another drought, and the one three years ago was a doozy, as most of us still remember. The Aug. 5, 2021, issue was full of […] Read more
VIDEO: WP100 Webinar Series – new crop varieties
What farmers want, need and look for in new crop varieties
At Ag in Motion, Western Producer editor Robin Booker introduced the latest swath of survey results in the year-long 100 Farmers, 100 Questions, 100 Years project, focusing on what farmers want, need and look for in new crop varieties. In the fourth session of this webinar series, which was broadcast live from the Ag in […] Read more
Big changes in first part of decade provide opportunities
The year 2020 will always be remembered as the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the pandemic restrictions led to positive technological changes and new opportunities for rural families. During this decade, the changing roles and contributions of women in the Canadian agriculture industry were being studied and acknowledged. All aspects of society were […] Read more
VIDEO: Producers look for results from new crop varieties
LANGHAM, Sask. — After a century of existence, the Western Producer knows a lot about what farmers want to know and need to know. However, in a rapidly evolving agriculture industry, both farmers and the newspaper have been leaping forward with new questions and needs they want addressed. That’s been highlighted by the 100 Farmers, […] Read more
