farmland metal farm gate

Having the ‘s’ talk on your farm

Don’t wait for an accident to happen before you talk about safety

Like many of you, I’ve checked out the grain bin suffocation demonstration at the farm shows and collected many farm safety brochures. I think this spring is finally the time when we’ll do things more intentionally on our farm. Why now? We experienced family trauma in October during harvest when a key person crashed a […] Read more

I can’t justify paying the premium for organic food.

Why I don’t feed my kids organic food

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


Try this bread recipe — baked in a pot

Try this bread recipe — baked in a pot

First We Eat: This method of baking in a heavy pot will produce an amazing crust

When Mom learned that Dave and I were going to spend two weeks writing at Wallace Stegner House in Eastend, she said, “Make sure you say hi to Shon and Steve. They’re good folks.” So, soon after our arrival, I parsed the village’s streets, looking for evidence of potters. When I found a front yard […] Read more

We can’t wait for rhubarb!

We can’t wait for rhubarb!

First We Eat: Here’s a pie recipe to use up the last of the 
frozen or the first of this season’s rhubarb

Dave and I celebrated a significant anniversary recently. We’d met in Banff, at a writing retreat. During that two-week span, he’d flirted shamelessly, held my chair, chatted me up, sat with me at meals, taken me swimming and to dinner, everything but serenaded me. For that, we waited 10 years, and then it was an […] Read more


Brothers farming together can be a challenge.

And… I have a brother farming too

This can present a whole set of challenging situations

Brothers farming together can make for many different, interesting, and somewhat challenging dynamics. Oldest son syndrome. Birth order has been very well researched by Dr. Kevin Leman. Seek out his work for the different traits of first-born sons. My coaching experience tells me that some founders automatically default choosing the oldest son as successor which may not be a great idea if the younger sons or […] Read more

Be mindful of how you breathe

Improper breathing can cause stiffness, headaches and decreased energy

The way we breathe dramatically influences our total body function and health. Breathing improperly will not only cause stiffness in the upper back, shoulders, hips, and neck, it can also decrease energy levels. The most common manifestation I see of poor breathing is neck pain and headaches. Many breathe with the muscles in the upper […] Read more


How to help founders let go

The transfer is inevitable so it can either be done in planned stages over time or by death

What should I do with the next 25 years? At 61, my life expectancy is 86. The math says I have a quarter of a century left to create legacy, help others transition, and mentor the next generation. I am also now a grandmother who delights in reading Penny Grace stories, rocking her to sleep, […] Read more

The scoop on making cookies

The scoop on making cookies

First We Eat: What kind of fat is best? What kind of sweetener? Does it really matter?

I started baking at six, the same age I first climbed onto a horse. I was too short to mount a tall gelding unaided, and in the kitchen, I didn’t realize that what I wanted to make first — cookies — were among the most challenging of any sweet. But at my first gymkhana, when […] Read more


You have to share what’s in your head with your farm team. People can’t read minds.

Love does not read minds

You need to share what’s in your head and heart so have those farm transition discussions

An amazing group of Alberta farmers shared their deepest fears with me at the 2018 Agriculture Service Board Conference. They texted me their biggest issues regarding fairness in transition planning. I thought you might like to see what resonates for you in this list of texts (no particular order). What I have had to come […] Read more

The reality of Alzheimer’s disease

When a loved one is diagnosed it’s devastating but there may be some ways to help reduce the risk of developing it

Walter* has Alzheimer’s disease — but only his family and close friends know how deeply it affects his life. Walter meets us at the door, greeting us by name. “Good to see you!” He takes our coats and leads us into the living room; we make small talk about the weather; a perfectly normal conversation. […] Read more