Tilapia grown aquaponically in Saskatchewan.

Fish on the flatland

First We Eat: Aquaponics on the Prairies 
make local sourcing of fish easier

We didn’t eat much fish when I was a kid, just the occasional trout my grandfather reeled in from the North Saskatchewan River, and East Coast cod on Fridays. Not until we arrived on Vancouver Island did I learn to love fish, especially West Coast sockeye salmon, although the act of fishing struck me as […] Read more

Note the attractive golden fall colour of this youthful “Delta” Hackberry tree. Its growth form is similar to our North American elm.

Singing Gardener: Get to know the ‘Delta’ Hackberry tree

Plus, a reader shares experiences with using sawdust in the garden

When are those startling and scary news reports about recalled imported fresh food veggies going to end? Maybe never! As I write this column some of the most recent recalls have applied to specific brands of romaine, leafy red and leafy green lettuces and whole heads of cauliflower. Who knows what’s possibly next? My theme […] Read more


Barley Risotto with Butternut Squash and Thyme.

Reimagining comfort food

First We Eat: After a long, cold winter day relax with a steaming bowl of barley risotto

So there I am one afternoon, lying on the couch and staring out the window. The sky is blue and glazed with ice; drifts of fresh snow lie in shadows across the fields and pastures. Once I get out there on my skis, my blood pounding through my veins and arteries, I’ll enjoy it. It’s […] Read more

Gregory checking heifers and horses 
at the feed trough.

Some chores are planned, some aren’t

Tending cows, horses, bulls and buying heifers keep days busy

On November 11 we took a day off from fencing and drove up to Maidstone to visit David and Maxine Mitchell and pick out a few bred heifers. This will be our third year buying heifers from River Bridge Herefords and we have been very happy with them. A few days later we brought our […] Read more


This witcher demonstrates his method to hold a large Y-shaped witching tool that he fashioned from a sturdy willow tree limb. He lets it sit for 24 hours first before using it to search for water.

Singing Gardener: The art of water dowsing — few can do it, many can’t

Plus, Ted has tomato seeds to give away — enter to win

Call witching what you will as it can be a controversial word. Some folks don’t like the word “witcher” either. Others relegate the practice of witching for water as bunk and trickery. Opting to express it as divining or dowsing is also used. But let me ask whether you’ve ever heard of a “witcher” who searched […] Read more

Thelma Pepper is the oldest recipient of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.

Photographer focuses on ‘ordinary’ pioneer women

Thelma Pepper wanted to highlight their strength and resourcefulness

Last May, Saskatoon photographer Thelma Pepper was one of six recipients of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. The award recognizes the achievements and contributions of the province’s outstanding citizens, and at 98, Pepper is the oldest recipient in the award’s history. Pepper’s black and white photographs, taken with a Rolleiflex camera, often feature the ‘ordinary’ […] Read more


Are you dealing with sciatica pain?

Fit to Farm: Combined with soft tissue massage these movement practices could help provide some relief

Sciatica is a common complaint, but it is often overdiagnosed. It seems to now be a catch-all for physicians to diagnose sciatica when there is any complaint of pain in the hip and leg, without giving solutions outside of pain masking. Sciatica symptoms include shooting pain or numbness/tingling down the leg stemming from deep in […] Read more

This attractive potted Christmas cactus has been flowering annually for 20 years. Success is in the know-how and Ted delivers some ideas and helpful hints.

Singing Gardener: How to get Christmas cactus to put on its best bloom display

Plus, reader feedback on problem deer control

Thanks for taking time and coming by to join me with this my final Grainews column for 2018. December is the month when some folks are saying happy holidays but I hold to joining those who stick to established tradition by wishing each person a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Red is such a predominant colour […] Read more


Lemon maple cranberry butter tarts.

Fowl supper? Fall supper?

Whatever you call them, they are a delicious Prairie harvest tradition

We gathered at my parents’ house on a mild autumn evening, clucking over Mom and Dad’s recent renovations, sipping Dad’s homemade wine, letting our appetites build for the fowl supper. Our neighbour Ken commented on the lineup he’d witnessed en route. “Halfway down the street and around the block,” he claimed. I was disinclined to […] Read more

Once harvest was done, it was time to get busy with major fencing project.

Fall projects are off to a good start

The Eppich News: Good progress made with a major fencing job

The end of October brought us some much-needed nice weather. We were able to finish harvest, but it took a lot of fiddling around, trying some here and then trying some there. Finally the crop dried to a moisture level that we could handle. We took every truck and trailer that would hold grain out […] Read more