As brush and old buildings were cleared for new fencing and more pasture, it was necessary to pull this old 1960 Ford tractor out of the way. It had been parked near the old tack-room for nearly 35 years.

Cold temps slow fencing and yard cleanup

There were a few antique treasures in the old sheds, and also some junk

February 21 This past week has been bitterly cold. On Valentine’s Day we had a snowstorm and nasty wind. We decided to move the big bulls to the main corral sooner than planned since they refused to drink the water coming through their pen. It’s murky and probably bad-tasting after the waterway was rechannelled through […] Read more

The Eppich Quarter Horses had a good Christmas morning as well as the hay was rolled out.

Definitely a cold, snowy start to winter

Eppich News: Blowing snow made it a challenge to feed the cows

December was cold and windy. It was too cold for little Ian to be out at all, and Joseph and James were not allowed to be outside for very long. Usually they got bundled up and then played a little bit on their walk over to Grandma’s house. They had fun but were quite sad […] Read more


Prairie Memoirs: Straight lines

Farmers love straight lines. Straight lines look sharp and mean you are on top of your game. Look anywhere and you will find them. Drive down any Prairie road and look down a line of grain bins and good luck trying to find one out of step. This is civil engineering perfection, Prairie farm-style. If […] Read more

Avoid driving pain

Avoid driving pain

Stiff and sore after a long day in the tractor or on the highway? Try these tips to help you feel better

Long drives are an unavoidable part of life on the farm or in the country. Whether it is long days spent in a tractor or driving across the Prairies, we often have to put our bodies in sedentary positions just by the nature of our lifestyles. Tension and pain in the lower body, spine and […] Read more


Garden star

Garden star

Eggplant can be delectable but it takes a bit of know-how to cook it properly

Like many Prairie children of central European extraction, my early experience of eggplant was erratic, error-prone and anything but remarkable. My mom never mastered eggplant, which she’d encountered on her European travels — on her return to Canada, she dutifully did her best, slicing, dredging, frying. But the true nature of eggplant never emerged in […] Read more

How to reinvent your farm life as you age

How to reinvent your farm life as you age

Mind Switch could be a good place to start

Harvest is in full swing on our farm, and I am not there — for a few days. Where is it written you cannot leave the farm during harvest? (Answer: on almost every page of the unpublished book, The Culture of Agriculture.) If you are one of the 2,800 folks who have stumbled upon “Finding […] Read more


One of our Eppich Quarter Horse weanlings standing patiently for a refresher course on being tied up.

Saying goodbye to an old gelding

Eppich News: Calves sold, and cows and heifers are home for the winter

We had a bit of snow on Thanksgiving Day but that quickly went away. October 12 I brought the mares and foals home from the home native pasture so that we could start the weaning process. We put the mares and foals in separate pens with a slab fence between them and with a few […] Read more

One of the last foals born in 2021, 
affectionately named “Tarzan” by Joseph.

A busy spring with crazy weather

Eppich News: Last of the 2020 foals sold, and a few of the 2021 crop spoken for

The beginning of May found us seeding and foaling. By the morning of May 14, all seven of our foals had been born and were doing well. We ended up with four fillies and three colts. That afternoon we branded our calves and vaccinated our cows. We worked at it slowly and we got it […] Read more


Due to the cold temperatures in February, cattle were provided with good wind breaks and plenty of dry bedding.

Last of hay and flax bales hauled home

Eppich News: Hopefully, cold temperatures are gone by early March calving

The beginning of the new year found us hauling bales. Gregory and John hauled slough bales the first week of January. Then, with the help of the blade on the tractor, they were able to plow snow and get 80 flax straw bales home on Jan. 8 and 9. On Jan. 11 Gregory drove his […] Read more