Ted Meseyton among the plum trees

Have a plum tree but no plums? Here are some tips to help it bear fruit

Singing Gardener: Plus advice for getting an amaryllis plant to rebloom

Is the melody of your life without some of the right notes or is there a barrier standing between your health and happiness? There’s an old saying that a person with his health has a thousand dreams but a person without health wants only to get well. More and more gardeners of all ages are taking greater responsibility for […] Read more

Swiss-French author Sylvie Bigar writes about her obsession with the south of France and cassoulet in Cassoulet Confessions.

Vive la Cassoulet

First We Eat: Many different ways to serve this classic French bean dish

I just read Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family, and the Stew That Saved My Soul by Sylvie Bigar. Bigar, a Swiss-French writer, is obsessed with the south of France and cassoulet, the classic southern French bean dish. Her Jewish Ashkenazi family (diaspora Jews who settled in the Alsace region of France, and before that, Poland) […] Read more


Strong families celebrate. Think about how great you are going to feel when you embrace the power of target dates and timelines.

Froese: The power of target dates

Seeds of Encouragement: Setting timelines for action can be key in planning your farm’s future

There’s nothing scarier for farm families who are trying to gain control over their lives than to have no clue about what the future holds. As a coach I call this “the pain of not knowing.” Time has a way of slipping quickly by, something like the toilet paper roll that spins faster as it […] Read more

Smooth Volcano carrots are known for strong, upright tops and easy pulling, and they are tolerant of late harvests.

Lots of good reasons to grow carrots

Plus, Happy New Year greetings

Well, howdy folks howdy! It’s a brand new year. 2023 has arrived. I once entered a song I wrote more than 25 years ago into an international song writing competition. It became one of 10 songs chosen that received “honourable mention” from among thousands of entries received. I still sing all verses of that song […] Read more


Duck breast roulade from Steve Squier, chef at Picaro in Saskatoon.

Food influencers

First We Eat: How to translate culinary art into home cooking

In a pivotal moment of the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada, the protagonist Andrea, a fashion novice played by Anne Hathaway, snickers as she watches her icy boss Miranda, played by the iconic Meryl Streep, make decisions for a fashion shoot. Miranda, reputedly modeled on the equally iconic Anna Wintour, head of Vogue magazine, […] Read more

When we are in a stressed state, any signal from our body, including pain, will be amplified.

Plagued by pain?

Fit to Farm: Here are some pain-relieving techniques that don’t involve medications

Pain of varying forms is a natural part of life. However, it shouldn’t be a constant intrusion for any length of time. Acute pain is typically a response from our body to a real or perceived threat to our survival. This means it might be something literal like the pain that accompanies stubbing your toe […] Read more


Choosing not to talk or giving your family the silent treatment is a decision with painful consequences, as you don’t have input in the wealth transfer decision process.

Froese: Reduce family friction

How to get your non-farm siblings on board with your farm vision

Are your aunts and uncles still talking to your farm parents? Do you have a broken branch of your family tree that has been severed forever due to estrangement? Would you like to have a healing story for your farm family transition with no drama? “The Farmland Dilemma: Help! The Siblings Who Don’t Farm are […] Read more

The Cook the Books competition featured one crepinette-like dish where flank steak was stuffed with mushrooms and chives, rolled up into a tube, seared, roasted, carved and served up sushi-style.

Up to the challenge

First We Eat: Canadian culinary students inspire at Cooks the Books competition

When I arrived in Toronto in early November, I left winter behind. The skies were blue, the temperature a humid 23 C, about 40 degrees warmer than at home. My sister struck up the grill and I spatchcocked a chicken, rubbing it with garlic, fresh-cut thyme, spices and black olive paste. An hour later, we […] Read more


The Singing Santa belts out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer before a live audience at the Jingle Bell Breakfast.

An Alberta couple meets The Singing Gardener

Plus the traditional Dutch recipe Boerenkool or kale with potato and sausage

It was an outstanding occasion when I met two of my Grainews readers in early October. The rare event resulted from an earlier phone call to yours truly that eventually led to my face-to-face meeting with Jennie and Bill Van Straalen from Coaldale, Alta., east of Lethbridge. A story unfolds shortly including a recipe from Jennie.   The bulk of communications from […] Read more

If you want to build trust, you need to show care for the values of others, show up with competence and do your job well.

Froese: Stop the micromanaging

Farm founders can have a hard time letting the next generation take charge. Here are some tips that can help

Men and women who are farm founders must eventually let go of being the ultimate decision makers as they mentor the next generation to be the main farm managers. This is not an easy dance. They need to learn to let go of being in control of every part, however small the enterprise or activity […] Read more