Jyubeen’s version can be made with palak (spinach), mustard greens, amaranth, chard, or other greens. The creamy paneer is spooned into the spinach mixture at the last minute, where it melts into the sauce. Serve with basmati rice. Serves 4.

South Asian favourites — Part 3: Vegetables take centre stage

First We Eat: The combination of warm spices and vegetables makes for tasty cuisine

I moved to Vancouver from rural Saskatchewan when I turned 18, landing in an Edwardian house with two roommates on the East Side. I’d grown up on my Germanic mother’s honest meat and spuds, but the West Coast was a popular destination for immigrants, and I lucked into a South Asian enclave — shops and […] Read more

Exercise doesn’t require a gym, a certain time frame or even a program to participate in. Movement or exercise can be done anywhere, any time, in any length or sequence.

What is the best way to work out and exercise?

Fit to Farm: You don’t need a gym or a certain program. Find a movement that you enjoy and just make time to do it

Working out, exercising, keeping fit and maintaining an active lifestyle; terms we are all familiar with for overall well-being and health. A key point that many may miss out on is that exercising isn’t just an hour at the gym, a certain dedicated workout program, or even a specific time frame. Equally so, a life […] Read more


Keeping track of where your money goes helps you gain clarity and understanding. What you track gets measured, and what gets measured can be adapted.

Froese: How to make tracking family living spending a top-drawer event

When you understand where the money is going — that’s when changes can be made

A movie explores a young teenage girl, Amber Appleton living in a school bus and riding her bike to her three jobs while attending high school. I notice she is very careful to count her cash and write down all her expenses as she works towards saving to have a real apartment to call home. […] Read more

To find locally raised lamb, read the menu at your favourite restaurant and ask who supplies the kitchen, visit independent butchers or farmers’ markets, and browse the internet using key words like “local lamb” and your province’s name.

South Asian favourites — Part 2: Learning to love lamb

First We Eat: Lamb consumption is on the rise in Canada so it may be easier to find a local producer

My Saskatchewan-raised mom never served lamb while I was growing up. She hadn’t eaten it as a child or young woman, and as a result, I didn’t learn to love lamb until I was in my 30s and living in Calgary. Sheep have been a presence in Alberta since the late 1800s, when thousands of […] Read more


The new term in 2022 for sweat equity is “delayed compensation.”

Froese: Really love the next generation with decent compensation

And remember — if you are going to use sweat equity you must predetermine the value

My farmer came in for lunch to warm up and was reluctant to head back outside feeling chilled. His labour is now being compensated by a buyout plan from our successor son. What’s keeping me on the hot side today is processing the coaching conversations where the next gen is working for “free,” that is, […] Read more

South Asian favourites — Part 1: Pakoras

South Asian favourites — Part 1: Pakoras

First We Eat: To start off, try these vegetarian appetizers — fritters served with chutney

When I told her I thought I was a changeling, my mom laughed out loud. “With those eyes? Those cheeks? That chin? You are the spitting image of your Aunt Lila.” It’s true. In the mirror, I see my family staring back, just as when I look at my sons, I see my dad’s face. […] Read more


Osteoarthritis is often considered a relatively common, normal part of aging.

Osteoarthritis — a very common diagnosis

Fit to Farm: It is most common in knees, hips, low back and hands but can affect any joint

Joint pain during movement, aching joints at rest or during weather shifts, stiffness and even audible grinding or clicking during movement are all symptoms of a common diagnosis: osteoarthritis. Classified as the symptoms associated with the gradual wear and tear on the joint cartilage, osteoarthritis is most commonly experienced in the knees, hips, low back […] Read more

Froese: Can farm dad become mentor coach?

Froese: Can farm dad become mentor coach?

Try not to be a micromanager as you let go of your CEO role and transition to mentor

Dick Wittman, a longtime farm management consultant and farmer has transitioned from being the CEO of a 22,000-acre Idaho farm to being his daughter’s mentor coach. His session at Ag Excellence’s 2021 conference was “How to get out of the way without going away.” Google the session and invest 90 minutes towards having better transition […] Read more


Umami dates back to 1907, when a Japanese chemist discovered that kombu seaweed formed crystals of glutamate — an abundant amino acid — for a taste neither sweet, sour, salty or bitter, but savoury, rich and meaty.

Becoming a better cook — Part 2: The taste of umami

First We Eat: This Japanese word has various translations such as ‘savoury’ or ‘deliciousness’

The four tastes — sweet, salty, sour, bitter — underpin every dish we eat. Smart cooks reach routinely for a bit of honey, a smidgeon of salt, a splash of lemon, or a drop of bitters to balance a dish, and fat too, like butter, oil, or whipping cream. Asian and Latin cooks add pungent […] Read more

Your attitude about conflict needs to be positive, knowing that positive conflict behaviours are going to help everyone get what they want.

Froese: Transition planning does not have to be tough

Transitioning management and ownership of a farm business is a journey that begins with taking that first step

Susan Forward, author of Emotional Blackmail gave me a key phrase for coaching that is life changing. She used the term, “Where is it written… (insert issue)? As a farm family coach who is currently in her third succession/transition journey, I would like to challenge you with, “Where is it written that transition planning has […] Read more