Brian Miller holds photos of what this farmhouse and yard looked like 30 years ago.

Preserving the past through photos

Retired administrator keeps memories alive

Brian Miller likes old farm sites. He’s not sure what possessed him to take hundreds of photos of abandoned and derelict farm sites over his 28-year career as a municipal administrator. What he does know for sure is that he’s thankful he has taken photos over the years because many buildings, from two-storey brick houses […] Read more

Some of the Herschel Quilting and Recycling Group. Back row (l to r): Sue Neufeld, Sharon Wiens, Virginia Wilson. Middle row (l to r): Lynn Hollick, Emily Brown, Sylvia Cutler, Cheralyn Wiens, Marlene Wiens, Dorothy Seibold. Front row (l to r): Margery Martin, Kay Heatherington.

Rural Prairie women making a difference

Group strives to Reduce, Recycle and Reuse – one quilt at a time

Some seniors may remember saving wool, old woollen clothes and blankets until they had a 100-lb. gunny sack full and sent it to a company in Winnipeg, Man. In exchange they received new woollen blankets. Was it frugal or out of necessity to mend, patch or reuse articles or was it the birth of the […] Read more


Are you a ‘farmwife’ or ‘farminist’ or both?

Are you a ‘farmwife’ or ‘farminist’ or both?

How do you see yourself? What does being a farm woman mean to you?

Country Guide senior editor Maggie Van Camp is a widow, mom, journalist and chicken farmer who coined a new term at CAFA’s (Canadian Association of Farm Advisors) Update in Guelph in May. Maggie proposed that the culture of agriculture needs a new mindset to speak to the many women farm operators in our country, women […] Read more

Close up of a nurse touching hand of a patient

Suddenly our life had changed

Would you be prepared if serious illness affected a family member?

People talk about life-changing moments. Some are good, like the birth of a baby; others are hard, such as the death of a family member. Over the years our family has seen a few but never as intensely as May 4, 2016 when my husband started getting ill. It was nothing remarkable. Our whole house, […] Read more


Woes of the farm workaholic

Woes of the farm workaholic

Working too much is harming farmers and their families

Sometimes the overwhelming demands of farming cause the entire body to slump at the kitchen table. Worn hands stroking greying hair and the eyes are reddened and glassy. Farming is one of those businesses where you live at your workplace. There is no line between work and home. It seems that work is always just […] Read more

How to help your farming father be really happy

How to help your farming father be really happy

What do fathers who are enjoying relationships with their successors say?

When I first typed out the title it was, “How to make your farming father really happy,” but that didn’t sit well because I believe that each of us as emotionally mature adults gets to wake up every morning and decide what our mood and responses will be. We get to choose to be happy […] Read more


Emma Stamm loves being hugged.

Stop putting off that care home visit

Many feel uncomfortable visiting care homes but here’s some tips to keep in mind

Anna* was a farm woman in her late 70s when a major stroke put her in a wheelchair and robbed her of her vocal and written language. Before the stroke Anna was active in her church and community and enjoyed spending time with friends. Her friends don’t come by so often anymore. Anna misses them. […] Read more

Fondest food memories

Fondest food memories

Prairie Palate: So many good memories of my mom involved food

I lost my mom this spring. She had Alzheimer’s disease so, in a way, we had lost a great part of her already. It was incredibly sad. I was assigned the task of writing her obituary for the local newspapers. As I scanned the fondest memories of my mom, it seemed so many of them […] Read more


Baked pork chop rice — Hong Kong style

Baked pork chop rice — Hong Kong style

This may look intimidating to make but it is well worth the effort

Editor’s note: Amy Jo Ehman will return. We are happy to have Diana Chan as a guest columnist while Amy Jo is away. Sizzling fried rice and crispy breaded pork chops topped with a flavourful tomato-based sauce and gooey cheese, all baked together in the oven. Gook joo pah fan, or baked pork chop rice, […] Read more

How to talk with your boomer parents

How to talk with your boomer parents

Seeds of Encouragement: Here’s some tips that may be helpful to do just that

As a Hudson Institute Certified coach I’ve been taught to always ask, “How old are you?” This is not rude. This is a helpful piece of information to assess what key issues need to be talked about. Scott Zimmer of Bridgeworks has helped me with decoding helpful language for communication between the generations. Here’s some […] Read more