Columns

I was struck by how the Grey County Federation of Agriculture hit the nail on the head when, at their annual meeting, they feared for the future of the special farmland in their county.
Randy McLeod, a farmer from ...

Another year has rolled around and we find ourselves cleaning up equipment, planning for next year, tidying up paperwork before the year-end deadline, and getting ready for Christmas. 2022 has brought some things we may not have been expecting...

This was the time of the year, when I was a kid long ago, that we got to know our neighbours much better.
With most of the outside work done (we didn't grow nearly as much corn in those days), farmers turned to work in the barn. In our neighbourhood...

It may seem like a long time ago now, but we all just went through a municipal election in October. While municipal elections do not always garner the same flash and attention of their provincial and federal counterparts, people who volunteer ...

When growing up in rural Ontario, community was all around. There were many neigbours within easy walking distance. When anyone new ventured to settle there, I remember my mother ....

"I gotta admit, climate change would have certain advantages," said Cliff Murray the other morning as he took off his winter coat and gloves at Mabel's Grill and blew on his hands to warm them up.
"Yeah, I hate getting ...

The Bouchard family had no problem with a photo in front of their travel trailer ... as long as we took one first with a panoramic view of Greener Pastures' Eco Farm's rotational grazing field in the background.
"This is why we're here," explained ...

s the first snowflakes loom in November, a look back to October brings back memories of a Thanksgiving weekend blessed by perfect weather. Families everywhere were taking walks down the street, in the parks, or to the river as did we with ...

While the emphasis on November 11, Remembrance Day is quite naturally on the soldiers who gave their lives, or at least a big part of their youth, to fighting in two World Wars, the immense efforts of the farming community should ...

For most of my life, one of my favourite places has been, of all things, a county forest. The name "county forest" doesn't really conjure up images of something very exotic, or even very interesting. But the Stephenson Tract, located ...

I had conversation some time ago with an indigenous professor from Western Canada; a person with a distinguished academic career with books and many peer-reviewed articles to their name.
During the course of our discussion, the topic ...

"What's this?" George Mackenzie asked Molly Whiteside as he perused the menu at Mabel's Grill the other morning. "You've changed the price of my pancakes and maple syrup again," he noted, looking at the price crossed out and increased...

There's nothing like Thanksgiving with the family to see how we deal with conflict. I guess you'll be reading this a few weeks after the fact, but it is Thanksgiving weekend as I write this.
And what great timing! I just finished four days of ...

I got up early to watch the Queen's funeral to pay respects for her stoic life of service. I respect the monarchy and the role they play in public office.
It was a somber, grand ceremony and I reflected on the Queen after I left the telly to don my ...

One of the things that adds to the serenity of my neighbourhood is that three of my closest neighbours have cattle quietly pasturing in the fields.Yet I read that this scene is really supposed to make me worry for the fate of the planet...

In my mind, Thanksgiving always comes a bit too early here in our part of the world. We are usually just getting started at harvest, and while definitely thankful to have made it that far, there is still a lot of work to do to get past that harvest...

Strolling through the industrial park, I asked around, and took the first job offered.
Hank -- his last name was of Swedish origin -- ran a small fleet of truck-mounted, industrial steamers used to remove the stink of unrefined oil from...

George Mackenzie and Dave Winston were already sitting at a window table at Mabel's Grill the other morning when the old pick-up pulled into the parking lot.
"Look at that!" said Dave. "I bet I could use my old music tapes if I had a truck that old...

The 4R principles promoted by Fertilizer Canada are increasingly accepted and practiced by farmers across Canada. It makes sense to apply nutrients from the Right source, at the Right time, in the Right place and at the Right rate...

"Well, well" said Cliff Murray as Molly Whiteside distributed menus for breakfast at Mabel's Grill the other morning, "things must be looking up. Mabel has new menus."
"Looks like she can afford them," grumbled George Mackenzie. "My ham and eggs...

Moonless midnight winter in Canada's north isn't necessarily about darkness. There are pockets where the artificial light is reflected upwards and then down again, a kind of deeper twilight to which your eyes adjust.
For a week I'd been ...

We live in an increasingly complex world, and it seems humans have never-ending expectations. While technology has vastly improved our lives in many ways, it has also led to some down sides -- everyone is an expert in everything now ...

I was struck by the calls, in two of the township Federation newsletters last month, for people to run for the board of directors in upcoming elections. I've been around long enough to remember when you didn't need to beg people to be involved....

he smell of fries from the fry truck at Thames River Melons near Innerkip was too hard to resist. These two served up my order and asked for a photo...how could I resist? Affable young men, Shannon McMahon (left) and Scott Salmon (right) prove ...