Ready To Be “The Boss?”

Deciding if you can afford to hire an employee is the easy part. Deciding if you are ready to become another person’s manager is harder. This is one of those important decisions you have to make before really knowing what you are getting yourself into. I wish I could give you a formula that translates […] Read more

Art Raising Funds For Foundation

McKay’s paintings often depict Prairie landscapes, the simple beauty of nature and scenes from her childhood on the farm. Art has always been a part of 88-year-old Frances McKay’s life. Her daughter Connie Haywood recalls her first memory of Frances in 1949, painting a picture of a collie dog barking over a lamb lying in […] Read more


Homemade Snack Crackers — A Healthy Choice

One of the popular snacks in our house is homemade cheese and crackers. Since I already make cheese out of our own milk, I had been researching some cracker recipes to go with it. Now that I have found a Manitoba source of certified organic flour my daughter and I got to work. We are […] Read more

Venison In The Freezer?

If you still have venison left from hunting season, here’s some recipes you might like to try. VEGGIE VENISON STEAKS Marinade: 1/4 c. dry red wine 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tbsp. soy sauce 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1 garlic clove, chopped 6 […] Read more


Do Away With Mildew

Put newspaper under car mats in snowy weather to absorb moisture. Remove mildew on wood patio furniture by combining 1 c. ammonia, 1/2 c. vinegar, 1/4 c. baking soda and 1 gallon water. Wipe onto furniture and rinse. Clean mildew around the tub area by placing cotton balls soaked with bleach in each corner. Clean […] Read more

Take This Cabbage For A Walk

I have seen some fancy and sturdy handcrafted diamond willow canes and walking sticks. Perhaps you have one or even make them yourself. Today, I shall tell about a different kind of walking stick that you can grow in your garden. Jersey cabbage is the common name for a famous heirloom Channel Islands kale (Brassica […] Read more


The China Effect Continues

An article or two ago I wrote out how I think the economy in North America might roll out in the coming years. Basically I said the good times baby boomers enjoyed for years likely have ended. Oh sure, some people will continue to make big wages, have lots of money and fun. But the […] Read more

6 Ways To Higher Farm Profits

Economy of scale is one of the key competitive advantages for Australian — and Western Canadian — grain farms, and land expansion has been an important driver of productivity gains. But over the past decade, land prices have grown at a much faster rate than operating profits. This has made additional purchases of farmland less […] Read more


Passing On A Hog Operation

In southern Manitoba, a couple we’ll call Hank and Susie, both in their mid-50s, farm 1,200 acres of grain and run a hog finishing operation that feeds 1,200 pigs to market weight about two and a third times per year for a total production of 2,800 per year. They grow most of their own feed. […] Read more

Nutritious Nuggets For Your Valentine

Whatever your choice, I hope you have a loving, rewarding Valentine’s Day. For this Valentine’s Day issue I thought I’d treat you to some ideas that you can give your loved one(s) that won’t break their nutritional banks and still leave you smelling like a rose. First, there’s the all-time favourite: chocolate. Two things need […] Read more