Reading Time: 4 minutes Dale’s phone started ringing just as his toast popped out of the toaster. He managed to pick up the call after the third ring. It was his sister, Margaret. Since their father’s death, Margaret and Dale tried to keep in touch, talking on the phone at least once a month. Dale got up early, so […] Read more
Hanson Acres: “What if I don’t have any choice?”
There’s more crop to get in the ground, and a big decision to make
Hanson Acres: What the heck is that smell? And where is it coming from?
Some days, life in town sounds like it would just be so easy
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dale Hanson muttered curses to himself as he walked across the farmyard, crossing from his house to the shop. The bright sun and cloudless blue sky were not enough to cheer him up. With the warm almost-spring air, he hadn’t bothered with a jacket, and now he was chilly as well as aggravated. He cursed […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Why worry? We’ve made this trip so many times
Forget all that technology. The pioneers criss-crossed the continent by horse
Reading Time: 4 minutes “How much farther?” Dale Hanson asked his wife. Donna peered at the Garmin and groaned. “The screen still says we’ll be there in four minutes.” Dale snorted and kept his eyes on the road. What he could see of it anyway. The Hansons had left Arizona in Donna’s car two days ago. After one night […] Read more
Hanson Acres: A long way from home, but hardly on her own
It’s a good thing you can never really leave the farm behind. Just ask Trina
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Guess what! Guess what!” Trina Hanson shouted to her husband Tom as she rushed into their house in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, after another long workday. “You won the lottery?” Tom guessed. “You know I don’t buy lottery tickets! Really, guess!” Trina shrugged off her backpack and pulled her sweater over her head. […] Read more
Hanson Acres: It’s mid-winter. The wind is blowing. This is farming?
When the Hansons set off for a break, it seemed such a great idea
Reading Time: 4 minutes By the kids’ week-long break from school in mid-February, Elaine was getting a little stir-crazy. “I know we’re not taking a big holiday this winter, but maybe we could just get out of here for a couple of days?” she said to her husband Jeff. “Maybe Minot?” It was the third day in a row […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Untangling a problem on a long drive
As snow fills the countryside, the Hansons ponder an even knottier mystery
Reading Time: 5 minutes “Do you think it’s because we live on the farm?” Elaine asked her husband Jeff. When he didn’t answer she turned to look at him. He was gripping the steering wheel and staring straight ahead, hypnotized by the falling snow caught in the SUV headlights as they drove down the Trans-Canada highway in the dark, […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Part of a team he wants to play for
Mark comes a long way, and it turns out the Hansons do too
Reading Time: 4 minutes Mark Edwards slipped the poolside waiter one of the moist bills he’d stashed in his shoe for tips. The man passed a piña colada to Mark and one to his brother, plastic glasses filled with ice and decorated with mini paper umbrellas. “Keep them coming, Juan,” Mark said. Juan smiled and headed back to the […] Read more
Hanson Acres: A season for new traditions
Family is family, even when Christmas takes a few surprising turns
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Pass me that bowl of popcorn before you eat it all,” Elaine demanded. Her nine-year-old son Connor tried to answer, but it came out as a grunt, since he was busy jamming a fistful of popcorn into his mouth, spewing almost as many kernels onto the carpet as he ate. “Can the next movie be […] Read more
AGCO adds to its Global Massey Ferguson tractor line
Two new 5700 Series models hit the market for 2020
Reading Time: 2 minutes In the last couple of years, major brands have been producing utility and mid-range tractors with powershift transmissions that don’t require clutching. In October AGCO announced it, too, is adding that type of transmission to its “Global” 5700 Series Massey Ferguson tractor family. Two new models, the 100-horsepower 5710D and 111-horsepower 5711D models will join […] Read more
Defining the culture for a successful female in agriculture (Part 2)
“By knowing my own value, I hold my own space.” These wise words from one interviewee can be a mantra for Canada’s farm women
Reading Time: 4 minutes In the last two columns, I have reported on my research into the lives of successful women professionals in farming and agricultural business. Their honest and engaging stories are varied, and they outline how we can create a culture of inclusion. An inclusive culture starts with parenting that offers boys and girls the same opportunities, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
