Lisa Guenther

Guide Life: About the neighbours

When Country Guide writer Lisa Guenther wrote her acclaimed new novel, Friendly Fire, she set the action in her own rural community. So we asked her to tell us, ‘How good an idea was that?’

Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a bit of danger, or at least perceived danger, around setting a novel in the rural community that you live in. Especially when the blurb on the back of the book says something about “eviscerating small-town platitudes.” A writer I know asked me, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll run you out of town?” She was […] Read more

Senior woman with Rheumatoid arthritis visit a doctor

Guide Health: The aches and pains of arthritis

There are two types of arthritis. If you have the condition, which one are you and how is it best treated?

Reading Time: 3 minutes It can seem inevitable that if you live long enough, of course you’ll be affected by arthritis, but it isn’t always so. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition of the joints which makes movement painful and difficult, but it occurs in two types; rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis involves the immune system, with about one […] Read more


Files and Coffee cup

Guide Life: Get organized and get more done!

Do you spend hours working in the farm office to emerge at the end of the day disappointed with how little you have accomplished?

Reading Time: 5 minutes You’re not alone. For most of us, the time we spend in the farm office is less efficient and productive than the time we spend on almost any other farm activity. To help, we asked two professional organizers to weigh in with their tested and proven ideas on how to streamline your office procedures to […] Read more

Treatment during an asthma attack

Guide Health: Breathing easier with your inhaler

Many types are available, but many people don't use their inhaler correctly

Reading Time: 3 minutes Being unable to catch your breath is certainly scary, and unhealthy. While you may think of asthma as the most common cause of breathing problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD accounts for most shortness of breath among older people. It is estimated that 1.5 million Canadians have a COPD diagnosis, but an equal number […] Read more



Why nice guys do finish first

Why nice guys do finish first

'Give and Take' looks at why helping others creates success

Reading Time: 3 minutes Give and Take: Why helping others drives our success By Adam Grant, Penguin Publ. Adam Grant’s approach to business relationships seems counterintuitive, like it would make you a suicidal little fish in a tank of big, hungry fish, but Grant sets out in his business bestseller Give and Take to prove that good guys really do […] Read more


The farmer as CEO

The farmer as CEO

AME Management: What roles and responsibilities must a farmer assume in order to be effective?

Reading Time: 3 minutes An Internet search will reveal several definitions of the roles and responsibilities for the chief executive officer (CEO) of a business. The degree of formality of the actual position and its title varies considerably from business to business, depending on size, complexity, and organizational preferences. Potential roles and responsibilities of the CEO are summarized below. […] Read more

Guide Life: Avoiding work overload

Guide Life: Avoiding work overload

Of course you take pride in how hard you work. For your own sake, however, and for the good of the family and the farm, it may be time to inject some balance

Reading Time: 5 minutes You work hard because you know the benefits are worth it. But are they? If you don’t take care to recharge, says Beverly Beuermann-King, a stress and resiliency specialist in Little Britain, Ont., sustained overwork can lead to reduced productivity, failed relationships, an increase in injuries, and physical and mental illness. In case after case, […] Read more


Guide HR: Are you ready for change?

Guide HR: Are you ready for change?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Darwin demonstrated that human beings, like all species, must constantly adapt to change or risk disappearing. In agriculture, as in business, we adapt, changing in order to survive effectively in a competitive world. In fact, change is the only constant. However, change for its own sake is far from beneficial, either economically or from a […] Read more

Guide Health: Which iron is the right iron?

Guide Health: Which iron is the right iron?

Symptoms of iron deficiency and choosing the right supplement for your needs

Reading Time: 3 minutes You need iron in your body for your red blood cells to have enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen through the blood system to your cells. A reduced number of red blood cells (i.e. erythrocytes) is called anemia. Iron-deficient anemia is the result of low iron levels. Your body contains about 3.5 grams of iron, of […] Read more