Reading Time: 3 minutes As I have travelled the world I have had the privilege of seeing many different breeds of cattle. They come in every colour and shape, from the stocky Belgium Blue to the sleek Zebu. Some cattle can be found on streets eating food waste; others are beasts of burden working fields and transporting goods; the […] Read more
Single-trait selection can be too much of a good thing
Dairy and beef cattle are amazingly adaptive, but problems arise when we breed for just one trait
It’s a new era when it comes to livestock medication
Don’t wait until the new rules go into effect in December — the time to get ready is now
Reading Time: 3 minutes Having a professional relationship with your veterinarian has never been more important. New regulations passed by Health Canada that come into effect Dec. 1 will require that all medically important antimicrobials (MIA) — including those that are injected, dissolved in water, fed in feed, or administered as a bolus — will need a prescription. Just […] Read more
There’s a new kind of loneliness — but overcoming it isn’t easy
You can see it everywhere — at least you can when you stop staring at your cellphone
Reading Time: 3 minutes It was a beautiful winter day. The weather was mild and the Prairie ice was just right for skating. I was thrilled to see a young boy navigating his wobbly way around the ice. It was obvious he was new to the sport. Dad sat faithfully on a nearby bench and not once did he […] Read more
Clever innovators have found new ways to bring us a cleaner plate
There are a host of flours made with unusual ingredients and they can also be used to make edible cutlery
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was thinking of my friend Ashley Fraser and the time I spent on his farm. The Australian innovator grew a variety of specialized seed crops for certified seed and birdseed, with the screenings going to the feed bunk ration. It was a waste-free way of looking at seed production and usage. In his climate […] Read more
A small conflict offers some larger lessons on finding solutions
The story of Sarah and Tom shows how easy it is for battle lines to be drawn and how they can be avoided
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sarah was mad at Tom for spending money on a new gun. She has been trying to manage on a tight budget for years and the kids needed new school boots with a long, wet spring just around the corner. Tom argued the money came from the portion of the budget they could both dip […] Read more
These are the five freedoms I believe every child deserves
As we nurture our children, we need to think about creating an environment in which they can thrive
Reading Time: 3 minutes I have been immersed in imagery lately while going to presentations on the animals and the people of this world. There have been beautiful photos of hope and human engagement as well as tragic visuals of war, rape, hunger, abandonment, and homelessness. I have enjoyed striking images of wild animals, endangered creatures, and lost habitat. […] Read more
There are many ways to view — and treat — soil
Healthy soil is a precious resource and we need to think more about that as we plan for our future
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is hard to imagine there is so little soil when we stand and look out at our vast landscapes where the ground lays in wait for the warmth of spring and the touch of the farmer’s hand. The shrinking global land base that is arable seems a country mile away and another farmer’s problem. […] Read more
Encouraging seed diversity is essential for the future
We should mourn the loss of diversity in older crop varieties and the concentration of seed ownership
Reading Time: 3 minutes One of the wonders of travel and of food is the vast varieties of plants that beautify our world. Many have medicinal and nutritional qualities and have been used for food or healing for thousands of years. Others are new hybrids that beautify the plate and add colour to our meal. They all have ancient […] Read more
Farming is not a one-size-fits-all business
There is room for organic, conventional, and GM technology because each of them offers different benefits
Reading Time: 3 minutes I continue to witness arguments over different methods of farming. But considering the variety of farms around the world, and that most of them are very small compared to the Canadian average, combative conversation is really rather unwarranted and, in many cases, an uneducated dialogue. When one disparages farms that are organic or ones that […] Read more
Give yourself the gifts that make life so much better
These eight gifts can’t be bought, but are more precious than anything offered in any store
Reading Time: 3 minutes Encouragement is a much appreciated gift, and I have the pleasure of sharing this with young men and women around the world. From the farm in South Africa to the apple grove in Holland; from the backyard farm in the Philippines to the grain farm in Saskatchewan; and all places in between, there are passionate […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
