Reading Time: 5 minutes “I’m not going skiing with a bunch of older boys,” nine-year-old Jenny said on Saturday morning. “They won’t wait for me.” “They will,” her mother, Elaine, said. “The twins might get sick of waiting for her,” Jenny’s 12-year-old brother, Connor, said. “Their mom will make them wait,” Elaine said. “They won’t want to, so they […] Read more
Hanson Acres: There’s a secret to happily hanging around
It isn’t always easy to find your place on a farm, until someone reaches out
Open for the future
Futurology: When farmers get told to be flexible, Leeann Minogue responds: “What does that actually mean?” Jim Carroll may know a big part of the answer
Reading Time: 3 minutes Through this winter, we have asked ag industry experts to tell us about the big changes they see coming to the sector over the next 20 years. Some identified the potential for huge changes to the way we produce food — whether farmers will be gathering reams of data directly from plants and animals, or […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Hello or goodbye. Which is it going to be?
“Eventually we’ll have to,” Dale said. Donna didn’t answer
Reading Time: 4 minutes Donna and Dale had been home from Arizona for a week when Donna drove back from town on a Thursday afternoon to find their farmhouse cold. She checked the thermostat, inspected all the windows, then called Dale to come in from the shop and take a look. She was still putting the groceries away when […] Read more
Policies and regulations may be the biggest risk of all
Futurology: Is the future's biggest danger climate change? A runaway virus? No, says Alanna Koch. It's governments that can't stop regulating
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alanna Koch sees many sides of the agriculture sector. First, she’s a farmer, part of a family grain farm near Regina. Off-farm, she’s the chair of the Global Institute for Food Security, the chair of CN’s ag advisory council, and a board member at SeedMaster, an ag equipment manufacturer. Previously, she was the deputy minister […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Getting away, maybe for good
When friends announce their surprise plans, it has a way of making everyone think
Reading Time: 4 minutes Jeff stomped his boots on the step before he opened the door, then stomped again inside the porch to shake the rest of the snow loose. “March is coming in like a lion,” he shouted down the hall to his wife Elaine. “It’s snowing so hard out there I could barely see the road. And […] Read more
Milk is where it (won’t) happen
Futurology: So far, much of the fretting has all been about fake beef. Instead, the real threat looks to be fake milk. When it hits the market in five years, how will the dairy industry fight back?
Reading Time: 3 minutes This is the fifth in a series of articles about the future of agriculture. The series isn’t an attempt to forecast next month’s canola prices, but a look at what Canadian agriculture might look like in the long term, 20 years from now. Simon Somogyi is the Arrell Chair in the Business of Food and […] Read more
Hanson Acres: It never gets that cold – not really!
“Won’t it be too cold for ice cream?”
Reading Time: 5 minutes The air compressor was running so Mark Edwards didn’t hear Elaine Hanson come into the Hanson’s shop. But once it shut off, it made him jump to find her standing right behind him, waving a piece of paper and yelling. He frowned, then started to grin. “You must’ve picked up the mail,” he nodded. Elaine’s […] Read more
‘We’ll need to be very creative’ in future food production
Futurology: Is anyone ready for the non-beef future coming our way? Sylvie Cloutier isn’t so sure
Reading Time: 3 minutes This is the third in a series of articles about the future of agriculture (find the other articles here). The series isn’t an attempt to forecast next month’s canola prices, but a look at what Canadian agriculture might look like in the long term, 20 years from now. In the second article, entrepreneur Robert Saik […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Nothing to worry about, not on a fine day like this
Reading Time: 4 minutes Jeff walked over from the shop to say goodbye to his wife, Elaine, as she was getting into her SUV on Sunday afternoon. “Have a good meeting,” he said. “I’ll be home late on Tuesday,” she reminded him. “The kids are skating on the dugout. I left stew in the crock pot for you and […] Read more
‘Now is really our time’
Futurology: It’s important to set aside time to consider the big picture
Reading Time: 3 minutes This is the third in a series of articles looking at the future of Canadian agriculture. The first article considered “foresight,” a formal planning process used to envision the future. In the second article, entrepreneur Robert Saik said that in the future, farmer’s mental machinery will be the most important on-farm asset. Mary Robinson, president […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
