Permaculture concept | Couple makes the most of the land while protecting the environment for future generations
A lush, green front lawn is a waste of potential. That’s how Julia Mitchell and Jason Baranec see it. The rural Lethbridge couple has embraced permaculture, which works with nature to create sustainable habitat and grow food. For these self-described “permies,” the front lawn is a common example of how people have separated themselves from […] Read moreThe Home Quarter — page 2
Caribbean-style resort nestled in Alberta
SUNDRE, Alta. —When Jerry Leussink built a dugout for swimming on his Alberta farm, he went a little crazy. His dugout is larger than most small town swimming pools and fancier than some Caribbean resorts. “You’ll never see another farm dugout like this.” With a white liner, deck chairs, nautical ropes and an endless supply […] Read more
Oh, crap.
Just because it’s poop and it’s free doesn’t mean it’s good for the garden. That’s the bottom line from a host of gardening sources on the issue of fresh manure. Fresh manure can be dangerous for plants and human health, and poop from various species of animals can be radically different in nutrient content and […] Read more
Skunked!
Ingredients:
If you live on a farm and own a dog, then there’s a good chance you’ve had a close encounter of the striped and stinky kind. For those who have been sprayed by a skunk, the mere sight of the malodorous mammal is often enough to evoke a hasty retreat. But sometimes, head-to-head encounters cannot […] Read more
Canine curiosity can be costly
In life, there is a right way and a wrong way to do almost everything and Cheryl Klimack now knows the wrong way to remove porcupine quills from her four-year-old mutt, Dodger. Klimack, like most pet owners, took her dog to the vet the first time he was pierced with porcupine quills. But the second […] Read more
Companions wanted
It’s well known, at least among astrologists, that people with the zodiac sign of Leo are a perfect match for a Sagittarius. Scientists and skeptics may doubt that an open-minded Leo and an adventurous Sagittarius are really a match made in the heavens, but most people accept the notion that successful couples usually have compatible […] Read more
Fruit growers branch out to new varieties
Move over crab apples, chokecherries and saskatoons. There are new fruit trees in town and they’re taking over yard space. Traditional fruits remain popular but plant breeders have been working to develop others that appeal to the prairie palate and climate. Dean and Sylvia Kreutzer are at the forefront of some of this work. Their […] Read more
Consider taking a safety course when saddling up to drive an atv
All terrain vehicles have become as common in farmyards as half-ton trucks and tractors. It’s so easy to jump on the seat and take off over a field to check on livestock or a watering system, or to haul supplies. It’s also fun. But their increased use for both work and play comes with a […] Read more
Start your spring tune up in winter
We typically don’t place as much value on our lawn and garden hand tools as our power tools. Take a quick inventory of the hand tools hanging on the garage wall and multiply that number by, say, $40 or $50. All of a sudden, you’re looking at a dollar figure that probably equals the price […] Read more
Value of shelterbelts evident when wind blows
There was a time, during early settlement of the Prairies, that homesteaders believed it was impossible to grow trees and became resigned to a wind-swept existence. Seedlings brought in from Eastern Canada failed to grow because they were non-hardy species. Tenacious farmers using native species had better success in establishing the first shelterbelts. The Canadian […] Read more
