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photo of cory willness and les henry
Crops

The legacy of Henry’s Handbook

A book well known to Grainews readers will remain available

By
Les Henry is a former professor and extension specialist for the University of Saskatchewan, a farmer, and a regular contributor of print and online articles and columns for Grainews for the past 37 years. He is also the author of Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water. Today, we are pleased to announce that Henry has […] 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.
Columns, Farm Life

Using common ground for written agreements

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

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

Let your feet flex and feel the floor

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

By
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
Your fearless columnist tosses the cell for electrical conductivity (EC) measurement into the Montreal River at Saskatchewan Highway 2 in July 2005. Results are recorded in a notebook and all is carried in a briefcase. I have notebooks like that all the way back to 1982. At this location, water EC is 260 uS/cm. In the north, water is mostly low EC; the standard for comparison is the South Saskatchewan River system that runs through Saskatoon, with an EC of about 450 uS/cm at 25 C.
Columns

Water chemistry: a Coles Notes version

Soils & Crops: Conductivity and hardness of water samples show what you can use it for

By
First of all: readers who have Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water can check out pages 124-125 for a detailed discussion of water chemistry, complete with calculations. Water is considered to be the universal solvent because it is capable of dissolving more substances than any other liquid. Therefore, one of the first things we might […] Read more
Farmers, farm families and farm workers get more energy when they are clear about their roles, skills and passion being in alignment.
Columns, Farm Life

Who is responsible for what on your farm?

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

By
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
How many ounces do you get in a pint? That depends on where you are — or, at least, where your pint glass came from.
Columns

The facts we stumble over

Why the frost on your windshield didn't kill your crop, and other nuggets of wisdom

By
When I undertook field research trials in Alberta in the 1970s on fungicides and insecticides for disease and insect control, I was often stymied by the Imperial (Canadian), U.S. and metric measurement systems. While the metric system was fairly straightforward and in its Canadian infancy, I had a hard time reconciling U.S. and Canadian measurement […] 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.
Columns, Farm Life

Eating while retreating

Homemade dressings can help with mindful eating while elevating any salad

By
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
Charting your expenses by line items over the past three to five years can clarify your cash flow requirements.
Columns

‘Cash is king:’ what does that really mean?

Among other meanings, it refers to the strength of your business' cash flow

By
We’ve all the heard the expression “Cash is king.” It’s a catchy phrase, but what does it really mean and how can we practically apply that concept on farms today? I submit what “cash is king” really means is to have money available to pay ongoing farm expenses such as crop inputs, wages, loan payments […] Read more
Boyd Anderson gives a grandchild a ride on a favourite horse. He said each horse had its own personality and he could figure it out so the animals would be great transportation for ranch country. He did encounter one that refused to behave; it got sold to be used as a bucking horse in rodeos.
Columns

Boyd Anderson’s life was a history of Prairie farming

Grainews columnists I have known, part 2 of a series

By
Let me first repeat the introduction to these columns. Grainews was first published by United Grain Growers, which was owned by farmers. The first editor, John Clark, recruited several farmers/ranchers to write regular columns that told it as it was “down on the farm.” Farmers writing for farmers was the idea. Boyd Anderson was a […] Read more

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