Reading Time: < 1 minute This section of our website is called Heartland but it could be called Snapshots — for it is only able to offer glimpses of a few of the people who enrich the province’s farm community. Some devote their time and energy to raise funds for a good cause in their hometown or communities on the […] Read more
PHOTOS: People who make a difference and enrich us all
We have the ability to do something about food waste
Reading Time: 4 minutes Lois Schultz of Wetaskiwin won top honours in the 2017 Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture Competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto last month. Here is her prizewinning speech. Seven hundred and fifty million is a huge number. But it seems even more gigantic when you discover that it represents the number of […] Read more
It’s tiny now, but fledgling hops sector is taking flight
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no doubt that the craft brewing industry in Alberta is hot — and that’s sparking a mini-boom in growing hops. “We know of 12 producers in Alberta, but that does not account for farmers who haven’t engaged with us,” said Wade Bendfeld, president of the Alberta Hop Producers Association, which was formed in March […] Read more
Demand is there, but jumping into hops isn’t easy
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re wondering if hops might be something you’d like to try, Ontario’s Ag Ministry’s website has a powerpoint primer called Local Hops: A brewing industry. Even though the presentation is barely a year old, Alberta doesn’t even make the list of hops-growing provinces. The owners of Northern Girls Hops west of Edmonton actually started […] Read more
Youth summit gives young Albertans a global view of agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes After attending a global summit for young ag leaders, Cameron Olson is even more excited about agriculture and its possibilities. Talking to some of the other 100 youth delegates from 49 countries at the four-day Youth Ag-Summit in Belgium last month was an eye-opening and energizing experience, said the 24-year-old from Rocky View. “There were […] Read more
Stories that touch the heart — and generate a big response
Reading Time: 3 minutes The world has got a little smaller for some Alberta farmers. And that’s a good thing. Alberta farm communities continue to be huge supporters of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank — raising more than $2.6 million last year. One of the foundations of that support has been “food study tours,” where farmers (who pay their travel […] Read more
Memories are made of this — 4-H exchange creates deep bonds
Reading Time: 4 minutes “We were waiting at the airport and the kids were all excited. But even though we had a big sign welcoming them, they were looking for their luggage and kind of walked by us. But when we got off the plane (in Nova Scotia four weeks later) and walked through the airport doors, everyone was […] Read more
Unique physiotherapy clinic treats both horse and rider
Reading Time: 2 minutes What do horses and physiotherapy have in common? Plenty, say Sandra Oxtoby and Keira Forsyth, the owners of Equus Physio. “Keira and myself are registered human physiotherapists,” said Oxtoby. “We both grew up riding horses and we had our own injuries.” The two say many chiropractors, physiotherapists, or massage therapists, many of the health-care professionals […] Read more
Rootstock blends rock music, local food, and conversations about farming
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rootstock rocked its third year out at the Flint Rock Ranch. About 400 people attended the fundraiser — which brings together city folk and local farmers to enjoy a farm-to-table dinner — late last month. “In the last few years, we’ve started raising grass-finished beef in an attempt to nurture and be good stewards of […] Read more
Alberta’s newest meadery takes a different approach
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta’s newest meadery is doing things a little differently. Along with a traditional honey wine, Tamarack Jack’s Honey and Meadery also produces a variation that might tempt those who prefer a brewskie to the so-called ‘drink of the gods.’ “We are a small apiary turned into a meadery just recently,” Katie Kingdon, manager of the […] Read more
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