Life’s secrets, according to you…

Here forthwith, are the most embarrassing things you’ve ever done: Part Two

The only thing I can think of was from a Grade 12 ski trip… I was too scared to jump off the chairlift at the top, so I started going back down (which doesn’t really work). They had to stop the lift, and the operator yelled at me over the loud speaker and I had […] Read more

Making sense of 2013 to plan for 2014

How are you planning to stand out in 2014 and make a difference in the world?

The calendar may say that it’s a new year, but my new year was a few months ago in September. I always feel that “going back to school time” is really the start of my new learning season. But alas, you have bright, shiny new calendars on your office, shop and kitchen walls, so as […] Read more


Snow-skier cresting a hill about to wipe out.

Life’s secrets, according to you…

People of the world, tell me this — what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? Part One


I share this story for one (or both) of the following reasons: It makes me out to be classy and sophisticated. Obviously. In case you happen to be having a crappy day my hopes are that this will make you laugh. Now where were we? Oh, right. The chairlift incident… it still gives me the […] Read more

Photo of book author, Bill Cockshutt.

Cockshutt — a familiar company name

The name Cockshutt is a familiar one on the Prairies. In the late 1800s, this company brand could be found on horse-drawn carts, plows and discers. By the mid-1900s, the name was on combines, warplanes, truck bodies and the groundbreaking Cockshutt 30 tractor. William H. Cockshutt (Bill) witnessed much of it. As a boy living […] Read more


From rectory to art house

The name ‘Forget’ caught the attention of Don and Shannon Shakotko several years ago. Searching for a reason to stay in Saskatchewan after falling in love with the community of Maryfield where Don was principal of the school, the couple saw a photo of a Catholic rectory on the front page of a local newspaper. […] Read more

The return to cast iron cookware

It’s time for another chapter of the Singing Gardener page and more Ted Talk. When I use the word “talk” it’s as though you and I are right there, face to face, speaking to each other. In recent weeks there have been plenty of geese flying overhead in “V” formations. Some say the leader is […] Read more


Couple ‘farms’ city garden plots

Fall is a very busy season for market gardeners Wally Satzewich and Gail Vandersteen harvesting root crops and preparing vegetables for the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. The Saskatoon couple had a large selection of fresh, chemical-free vegetables, herbs and flowers for sale from the garden plots they manage throughout the city. Wally and Gail currently ‘farm’ […] Read more

Life’s secrets, according to you…

People of the world, tell me this — what’s the most useful lesson you ever learned in school? Part 2


The discussion started when Jack came home from school one day, asking me to scratch his femur. “It’s really itchy…” he said, then continued with: “That’s likely ’cause it’s the largest bone in my body. That’s for sure why it’s so itchy.” My mouth hung open. I may have even started to drool a bit. […] Read more


Time logs to track farm workloads

You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone…” is the line in a song that may ring true for families that regret not paying attention to earlier cries for understanding. My co-writer Dr. Megan McKenzie has a few thoughts about the importance of tracking where time on the farm labour sheet is spent: There […] Read more

Now’s the time to build up the immune system

Catch a falling leaf during autumn and you won’t catch a cold all winter! I can’t verify whether that bold statement is true or just a fable. Actually, it’s not that easy to catch a leaf as it tumbles from a tree to the ground. Well as always, I have more than enough to tell. […] Read more