Nurse Loves Farmer: Some insist it’s changed and causes ailments, but what is the wheat of today really all about?
“Go back to the way it used to be!” I often hear this when people are talking about wheat and gluten, as they insist that the wheat products they eat nowadays give them ailments like bloating and stomach aches, thus assuming wheat has been modified too much in the last century. Wheat has been a staple food in […] Read more
After dealing with many stressful events I realized that it was time for me to get professional help
Over the last year I have dealt with mental health issues after some stressful events in the late spring of 2017. I’ve since been diagnosed with anxiety, something I now realize that I’ve had my whole life. With mental health being on the forefront of many conversations, especially in the agriculture community with the newly […] Read more
Nurse Loves Farmer: An attempt to fill a knowledge gap turned into a backlash of criticism against me
A few years ago I started “agvocating” for agriculture. I saw a gap that needed to be filled in the mommy blogging and food blogging worlds, as they desperately wanted to be more connected to where their food came from. The assumptions, the myths and the fear that was being spread in these communities made […] Read more
Because of this I’ve been called a bad mom, irresponsible and downright lazy
I could certainly afford to pay up to 50 per cent more for organic food for my children to eat, but I refuse to. I decline to pay the premium for organic food because I cannot justify it when comparable conventional foods (including those with GMOs) are just as healthy and nutritious, and arguably more […] Read more
When a woman saw Jonathan’s photo she realized that he had the same skull problems as her daughter
If there’s one single reason to make the years worth blogging, even among all the hateful, nasty, rude emails and comments I have received, it was when a blog reader emailed me and diagnosed our baby with a rare skull defect. I have dubbed that email one of the greatest blessings of our life. I […] Read more
This can have different meanings for different people but it explains a huge part of my identity
You could call me a bit of an old soul who passionately loves technology. I’m caught somewhere in the middle on the spectrum of ’50s housewife and millennial, if there is such a thing. I love being at home and being a housewife and mom. I also love practising as a registered nurse when I’m not at […] Read more
When my nephew was diagnosed with celiac disease I found out more about gluten and here’s what I discovered
Believe me, there was a time (not too long ago) that I was the biggest scoffer of any gluten-free labelling on foods that clearly did not have any wheat, barley or rye in it. Gluten is a protein that is only found in those specific grains, so why was there gluten-free oatmeal? Clearly there is no gluten […] Read more
Nurse Loves Farmer: Measures need to be taken to preserve health and decrease stress levels on the farm
In the fall of 2006 when I was still dating my farmer, I’ll never forget the day we were lounging in his basement bedroom listening to music in the house he rented from in Edmonton. This house was a mere three-block stroll to the University of Alberta, where he was finishing up his crop sciences […] Read more
How many to cook for? Where are we eating? Did they move fields? Are there enough utensils packed?…
I came across an article on my Facebook feed during harvest titled “10 Reasons Cooking for a Family Sucks.” It was humorous, as the articles from the popular parenting website Scary Mommy often are, but I noted how similar I feel at this time, cooking for our harvest crew. We have a really amazing system, […] Read more
Nurse Loves Farmer: During seeding on the farm may not be the best time to have a baby but it all worked out
Ever since we had our second baby boy after harvest in 2012, I wondered if we would have just one more. Maybe we’d get a little girl to add to our family, or maybe we were just perfect as we were with our two little boys. We hemmed and hawed for 2-1/2 years unable to […] Read more
