From Freemasons to farm families. There have been several legacies built in Manitoba
Recently I was in Winnipeg for the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation annual conference. Winnipeg is probably not on too many bucket lists, but the downtown core has some interesting old buildings and attractions around the Forks. One of the most interesting buildings is the Manitoba legislature. Years ago, Frank Albo was driving by the leg […] Read more
Social media is great for sharing information, but there is a downside
In my last column, I wrote about how rapid change in how we communicate is changing society and encouraging fear. Fear easily morphs into anger and hatred and there’s no shortage of either on the internet. I’d love to write that the online ag community is free from such nastiness. But the ag community is […] Read more
Corn, soybeans and a changing society on the other side of the border
In late July, I flew to Nebraska to get an idea of what the ag industry looks like in that state. Before I even left my hotel in Omaha, I had my first clue. The Omaha World-Herald ran a front-page story on the $12 billion ag aid package with a rhyming headline. “Farmers: Thanks for […] Read more
Many rural activities facilities and activities are run by volunteers. Keep yours happy
Volunteers power many facilities and services in our communities. What motivates people to volunteer and how can non-profit boards engage their volunteer corps? I spoke to two women, from different rural communities in different provinces. Both have experience as board members and in the volunteer corps. Because I wanted them to speak openly without creating […] Read more
Lisa Guenther points to two agronomic problems shaping our future cropping plans
Agriculture has undergone big changes in the last century. Yesterday’s farmers would be amazed by the technology contained in a tractor and seeder these days, or by the vaccines that protect livestock from disease. Or even by the phones we tuck into our back pockets, and occasionally drop in the muck. It’s an interesting exercise […] Read more
From Griffin to Gimli, Lisa Guenther hit the highway to gather new information
In mid-April, I packed my car and headed south. At home, there was still enough snow to Ski-doo. For several hours I drove through intermittent garbage weather (snow in the north and sleet or rain in the south). For two days, I stayed with Leeann Minogue’s family near Griffin, Sask. While there I visited the […] Read more
When you romanticize what you don’t understand, disappointment is inevitable
I learned a new word this week. “Indianthusiasm,” a term coined by author and professor Hartmut Lutz, describes people (often German) who have an exaggerated, ahistorical, romantic infatuation with North America’s First Nations people. This was just one gem among many in Canadian author Drew Hayden Taylor’s short documentary, Searching for Winnetou. Winnetou is a […] Read more
From taxation to transportation, there’s a lack of understanding of agriculture showing
Some days, you really have to wonder where our federal ag minister is at. Last year, the federal Liberals attempted to roll out tax reforms that raised the hackles of many in the ag sector. The proposed changes to capital gains exemptions seemed likely to threaten many producers’ abilities to pass the operation to their […] Read more
Making one non-profit board effective can be hard. Now, try bringing 2 together
A basic principle of horsemanship is that you should make the right thing easy for the horse to do, and the wrong thing hard. For example, if your horse doesn’t want to stand still, don’t try to force him to stand still. Instead, make him work — sidepass, turn on the foreleg, etc. The idea is that the […] Read more
A trip to the Cigi course on export grains is teaching Lisa Guenther the fine details
I’m writing this column after my second day at the Combine to Customer tour, the crash course in the wheat supply chain organized by the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) in Winnipeg. It’s one of those info-rich events where I have more material than I know what I can do with so watch for more […] Read more
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