back pain

Easing the strain of sitting

Fit to Farm: Joints in the spine can get compressed when you have to sit for long periods

A common complaint that comes along with the farm lifestyle and career is back pain. Non-specific low back pain — meaning the pain has begun with no clear incidence and doesn’t have one clear cause — makes up over 80 per cent of back pain complaints. In my line of work, often it isn’t as […] Read more

farm family

Great questions to uncover inheritance expectations

Seeds of Encouragement: Keeping a farm intact can complicate the process, but not insurmountably so

One of the key fears of aging farm founders is the conflict they anticipate when the farming heir has access to millions of dollars of land, and the siblings who are off to other careers do not have the same net worth opportunity in their future. Or do they? Firstly, where it is written that […] Read more


Dry-roasting quinoa before cooking is necessary to remove the bitterness imparted by naturally-occurring saponins on the seeds’ exterior.

Brunching, part 2: Quinoa

First We Eat: Grain dishes can be augmented with various textures and flavours

Threshing, winnowing, drying. Those ancient words resonate with us, and for good reason. Humans have been harvesting grains to use for food by these timeless methods for millennia. Just think of wheat, barley, rice — and quinoa (pronounced keen wah). Quinoa, like amaranth, is not a grain, but a high-fibre pseudo-grain — an herb, in […] Read more

Sticking to a family code of conduct means respect and honesty in communication, and commitment to healthy, emotionally intelligent forms of conflict resolution.

Using common ground for written agreements

Seeds of Encouragement: Put intentions and interests into well written words before change inevitably comes

I hope you are reading this on your phone while waiting in the field, which would mean #plant2024 conditions are perfect to go. The type of “common ground” I refer to in the headline is not your soil; it’s the things everyone on your farm team is committed to work toward. As mediators in conflict […] Read more


quiche in a parallelogram shaped pan

Brunching, part 1: Quiche

First We Eat: Build it properly with a wall of flavours, and real men can and will eat quiche

When Dave and I started to plan a recent family gathering, we quickly realized a daytime event was more likely to suit our guests than an evening supper. Even as the sun moves back north and daylight hours lengthen, time spent talking after eating often means our guests would face a drive home on gravel […] Read more

Spending time outside of shoes, experiencing textures and touch, will benefit your feet — not to mention the rest of you — in the longer term.

Let your feet flex and feel the floor

Fit to Farm: While necessary, shoes do limit how your feet's natural structures can work

Have you been told you have fallen arches or flat feet? A common misconception is that our foot posture is unchangeable or uncontrollable. Just like any other part of the body, there is quite a lot we can do to support the physical health and mobility in our feet. Many clients that I meet have […] Read more


Farmers, farm families and farm workers get more energy when they are clear about their roles, skills and passion being in alignment.

Who is responsible for what on your farm?

Seeds of Encouragement: Collaboration, consultation, clarification help build better work cultures

If you’re gearing up for spring planting or tending to livestock, you know there are many daily tasks to complete, and your mind may be saying “The work on this farm is never done.” Many young farmers are keen to work hard to prove they are ready to become farm managers — but what tools […] Read more

More seeds than I need from Seedy Saturday -- but good for sharing.

Seedy Saturdays

First We Eat: A freshly pulled carrot from the garden will remind you why this vegetable is such a mainstay

Back in March, I joined a crowd of people purposefully moving from booth to table to booth at St. Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre in Saskatoon. The occasion was the annual Seedy Saturday, an opportunity amidst the snow and ice for gardeners to buy seeds and think about spring. Seedy Saturdays occur across Canada under […] Read more


The citrus and honey mustard dressing recipe you’ll see below is as good on fruit or fish as it is on greens.

Eating while retreating

Homemade dressings can help with mindful eating while elevating any salad

I am standing in a laneway lined by a double row of blue spruces, a shelled bit of peanut on my ungloved palm. It’s only a few seconds before a black-capped chickadee settles on one of my outstretched fingers, its tiny wire claws gripping my skin tightly. It’s an alien feeling, and I work hard […] Read more

Two horses, working in tandem, are stronger than one — and make a great metaphor for spouses in business together, proceeding forward in alignment.

How to have the conversation about prenups

Whatever the status of your relationship, the farm you share needs clarity

“So, you want to protect your farm in case of a divorce, understandably so! Can you do that with a prenup? Yes! If it’s valid and enforceable, and you include the right provisions, your farm can stay in your possession, even in the worst-case scenario of a divorce. Prenups can also supplement your estate planning […] Read more