Ted holds five destructive lily leaf beetles in hand

Ted has some info on how to help control lily beetles

Plus, try this recipe from a reader for Crisp Pickle Slices

Howdy folks, howdy. Readers will notice I’m beginning this Grainews issue with a new head photo of myself and WOW do I have a lot to cover from lily leaf beetles, to controlling apple maggots. Home pickling, canning and freezing are well underway so thanks to Peggy Lunde for her Crisp Pickle Slices recipe. We’ve […] Read more

Why do we cook?

Why do we cook?

First We Eat: We should know how to prepare food and it's the best way to have control over what we eat

On a Friday over lunch after our weekly trip to the farmers’ market, I asked Mom what her favourite desserts were. Her 82nd birthday was rolling around soon. I’d already decided on the main course — cioppino, Mom’s favourite fish dish. It’s a tomato-broth-based, Italian-derived fisherman’s stew that’s been part of our family’s repertoire since […] Read more


Mom, Heather Eppich and son Joseph, saddled up for a ride.

Breeding season begins

With moisture to help the grass, cows and bulls head out to pasture

May turned out to be a warm month. We were lucky enough to get several rainstorms toward the end of May and beginning of June — very happy to get the much-needed moisture. On May 12 our last Bannerlane heifer calved. There was only one foot presented so we put her in the maternity pen […] Read more

Where is it written that farm women have to grow a garden?

Unwritten farm expectations

Where is it written that good farm women grow gardens?

Susan Forward who authored Emotional Blackmail has a handy tool for challenging the way things have always been done by saying: “Where is it written?”… _____________. You fill in the blank for the unwritten rule or expectation that you are challenging. Large farm vegetable gardens: “Where is it written that in order to be a […] Read more


My name is Sarah and I have anxiety

After dealing with many stressful events I realized that it was time for me to get professional help

Over the last year I have dealt with mental health issues after some stressful events in the late spring of 2017. I’ve since been diagnosed with anxiety, something I now realize that I’ve had my whole life. With mental health being on the forefront of many conversations, especially in the agriculture community with the newly […] Read more

Goosefoot, a.k.a. Tree Spinach is a tall-growing ornamental whose edible mineral-rich green leaves taste similar to Popeye’s favourite veggie.  
Colourful magenta-tipped leaves appear at the top.

A fast-maturing turnip that can be planted end of July into early August

The Singing Gardener: Plus, info on Goosefoot, also known as Tree Spinach

Having trouble growing maggot-free turnips? Let me tell you about a fast-maturing variety that’s ideal to plant toward the end of July and into early August for a fall garden crop. They’re as easy to grow as radishes. Details and source for seeds are provided further along. Also a short presentation about a plant called […] Read more


A mix of bunny tail grass, xeranthemum flowers, and wild grass.

Creating dried grass and flower arrangements

These are inexpensive and long lasting whether you grow your own or harvest wild ones

Ornamental dried grasses and flower arrangements can add a natural touch to your home décor, and they are inexpensive to make, low maintenance and long lasting. Many wild grass and flower species are beautiful and simple to harvest, but make sure the foliage and flowers you’re harvesting aren’t poisonous or on the endangered species list. […] Read more

Dad, Gregory, gives young Joseph a horse ride on his first birthday.

Green grass, birthdays and branding

Calving is finished and cattle finally head out to pasture

This calving season has had its challenges for sure. The temperature rose drastically in the middle of April and caused a lot of runoff, leaving our home pasture very wet. We held the cows and calves in the corral for as long as we could because we don’t have any natural windbreak or protection in […] Read more


Good neighbours are what it’s all about

Good neighbours are what it’s all about

First We Eat: Always there with friendship, moral support and help in an emergency

Our neighbours are one of the reasons Dave and I are able to live in the country. Admittedly, as writers, we have the wrong skill sets for rural life. Dave can edit a short story like nobody’s business, and he’s a fabulous writer, but he’s not so good at manual labour or at troubleshooting failed […] Read more

How did your father influence your beliefs and attitudes about your farm career?

The father factor in farming

How is Dad’s style of relating affecting your decision-making on the farm?

“Your father’s particular parenting style is the template that forms the father factor in your career… If your father has died, that doesn’t mean that the feelings from the relationship are dead.” — Dr. Stephan B. Poulter, author of The Father Factor: How Your Father’s Legacy Impacts Your Career Poulter believes that we learn from […] Read more