Reading Time: 6 minutes Neighbourliness is stitched into the fabric of rural Canada. It always has been. In fact, as Dr. Catharine Wilson, professor of history at the University of Guelph might put it, “reciprocal labour” is what paved the way for our farming success. “I don’t think we can overstate how important neighbours were,” says Wilson. It isn’t […] Read more
Better neighbours
In an era of bigger, busier operations, are farmers still paragons of neighbourliness?
Great rural neighbours
When rural communities offered to host Syrian families, many Canadians held their breaths. Should we send refugees into farm country? Actually, it’s been a major success
Reading Time: 5 minutes Rural people pride themselves on being good neighbours. Whether it’s a barn fire or equipment breakdown, or if a neighbour is seriously ill, they’re quick to offer help. So it’s not so surprising, at least to rural Canadians, that when researcher Stacey Haugen spoke to Syrian refugees who had settled in Canada’s rural areas, they […] Read more
Bernie Sanders promises help for family farms
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan on Sunday to help family farmers and rural residents, promising to break up corporate agricultural monopolies and invest heavily in social and economic programs in struggling rural communities. Sanders, an independent U.S. senator and fierce corporate critic, said on a campaign trip to Iowa that […] Read more
Keeping small towns alive, building communities that thrive
Saving our small communities has less to do with keeping our kids at home than giving them reasons to return
Reading Time: 5 minutes Rural communities across Canada know the challenges all too well. Populations are shrinking, and services of all kinds are getting harder and harder to maintain, not only for businesses but also for new Canadians, the disabled, the elderly and those suffering from mental health challenges or addictions. It’s not all doom and gloom though. Doug […] Read more
When farm organizations work with charities, everyone wins
More than a trend, feeding hungry people is becoming an essential business practice
Reading Time: 6 minutes When Bill Laidlaw was general manager of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario, he had no more insight than anyone else into what food banks were, what they did, or how they operated. Now, as executive director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB), he spends a lot of his time lobbying the government, companies and […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
