Reading Time: 3 minutes It is that time of year for reflection and as I hold an old cracked bowl in my hand, I am grateful. This bowl is nearly 90 years old and represents a part of my family history. For decades it has held the simple foods grown on the farm – colourful vegetables, bright berries, herbs. […] Read more
Schoepp: In everyday things, we find our stories and great meaning
On the shelves of my home are bowls that are precious for the memories they hold and the promise they offer
‘Everything was destroyed:’ One farmer’s tale of the Russia invasion
His farm and village are in ruins, but Yuriy Vovchenko’s focus is on somehow planting a crop next spring
Reading Time: 5 minutes EDITOR’S NOTE: this story contains graphic content. Glacier FarmMedia – Ukrainian farmer Yuriy Vovchenko survived the Russian occupation and constant shelling for eight months, but his life has changed immeasurably. I have known him for many years, and since the invasion I have wanted to phone him many times but each time I dialled, I […] Read more
Community groups get a helping hand
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farm Credit Canada organization awards between $5,000 and $25,000 for “improvement initiatives that enrich the lives of residents” in communities with populations of less than 150,000. Among the groups receiving funding this year are the Grassland Ag Society in Athabasca County ($15,000 for hall upgrades), Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society ($12,000 for electrical upgrades […] Read more
From the best to the worst, it’s the year told in verse
It’s a year-end tradition done with contrition, a light-hearted review for you to go through
Reading Time: 3 minutes As longtime readers know, what we do each year first isReview the one that’s just past, but do it in doggerel (bad verses)A look back to review things is usually a good practice gainfulBut this year it’s one that feels kind of painfulUps and downs for farmers here seem only a piffleCompared to those in […] Read more
Report from Ukraine: Watermelons and raccoons — there’s still laughter amidst the tears
The people of Ukraine are coping with adversity any way they can as winter’s grip deepens
Reading Time: 4 minutes I can imagine how Canadians feel when they watch news from Ukraine. Not long ago, we in Ukraine watched reports from Iraq and Syria, and it seemed to us like a broadcast from another planet — a planet of cruelty and destruction. Now we live on this planet. To maintain a healthy mind, we have […] Read more
Hillmer appointed vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Del Bonita producer Sheila Hillmer has been appointed vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers following the resignation of Jason Hale, the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture. Hillmer became an ABP delegate four years ago and has been on the board since then. She is also one of the organization’s representatives on the board of the Canadian […] Read more
Program targets worker shortage, promotes careers in ag
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province and Ottawa are giving $2.5 million to Ag for Life so the non-profit can promote ag careers and help companies with recruitment and worker retention. Best known for its classroom education program, Ag for Life will distribute two types of grants aimed at helping reduce a labour shortage in the ag and food […] Read more
Many farmers – but not all – are cashing in on interest-free loans
With the first $250,000 interest-free, producers can save big with a cash advance
Reading Time: 4 minutes There may not be such a thing as free cash, but an interest-free loan of up to a quarter-million dollars may be the closest thing to it. Administrators of the federal Advance Payments Program say they’ve seen a big jump in applications since the interest-free portion of the loan was increased to $250,000 (from $100,000 […] Read more
Opinion: It’s time to shine a light on the dark side of social media
Farmers should know better than most how quickly misinformation spreads in online echo chambers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Social media is undermining our shared reality, and those of us in the agriculture sector need to take better note of the trend. Why? Because not doing so could result in a continued separation between rural and urban Canada, as well as one another. Social media is a drug of sorts, in […] Read more
Schoepp: It was both an ordinary day and an extraordinary one, too
Sometimes when the load seems too heavy, little moments can lift you up
Reading Time: 3 minutes What started as a downer of a day turned into one of fulfilment and meaning. The person cutting my hair always surprises me with the depth of her compassion and her understanding of the world. Everything about her is beautiful and regardless of where I am that day, I feel uplifted when I go to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
