Category Archives: Food Security
Snow and more snow
We’re snowed in! This isn’t earthshaking news for Canada but in our part of the country, it is. Fifteen inches over three days and most everything has stopped in its tracks. Only essential travel is recommended. So we have little movement at the end of our dead-end road to the farm. The dynamics are interesting. […]
Alone on the Farm
I am alone on the farm. It happens more often than I realize. Although a small, almost ‘hobby’ farm of 5 acres with neighbors on all sides, I also feel alone. The property has high fences (to keep out deer) and the front gate is shut, with a ‘closed’ sign for our U-Pick. This isn’t […]
Eating Local – Very Local (Part 2)
Having just come off seven days, of ‘eating only what is grown on our farm’, my appreciation of a true pioneer family is immense. My last blog set the stage, and these are a few nuggets I learned. A vegetable garden is essential for self-sufficiency. It’s probably the most important piece of ground on the […]
A Far-Away Summit That Will Impact Your Neighborhood
If you’re reading this blog, you probably stay somewhat knowledgeable of current events. And you’ve surely heard of the face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the US and North Korea now underway in mid-June 2018. It is of great importance, and why am I writing about it. So much of the media is scoffing about […]
A Petty Agricultural Argument between Neighbors
Usually Canadian politics is a bit on the boring side, but not when it involves the US. I actually think the 2nd most popular sport in Canada…after hockey….is bashing America, or more specifically Donald Trump. May 2018 is no exception, especially when Trump is threatening to dismantle or at least re-negotiate NAFTA, the North America […]
Preserve food. Prepare for an emergency.
Last month I blogged on the subject of food security, and how important ‘local’ food was for our ancestors. In order to have adequate food beyond the growing season, some clever food preservation methods were devised in centuries past — and still in widespread use today. Preservation slows down or stops bacteria and other pathogens […]
Celebrating the Seasons through Food
As the saying goes: “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one can do anything about it.” The significance of four seasons was more than just idle chatter a century ago. It had a huge impact on food security. Then, we were largely an agricultural society. Our ancestors were close to the land. Our lives […]
Complexity of NAFTA negotiations
The US, Canada, and Mexico are in several rounds of negotiations to change the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This has been a promise in the present Trump administration, and despite views on Trump, you have to give him credit for addressing his campaign promises – which many politicians can’t claim. NAFTA includes a […]
Quality of Life
While shamelessly check off an increasing number of decades, I’ve had the privilege of residing in several locations. Populated and not so populated. Lovely and not quite so lovely. Urban and rural. In previous blogs, I’ve mentioned growing up on a small dairy in South Carolina. I moved to various towns to teach school, work […]
BC – A Most Beautiful Place on Earth
BC’s motto is “The most beautiful place on earth”. This could be argued, but clearly it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Partly because of its natural setting. But this natural setting comes with a price. The 2017 summer drought in BC has finally been broken. We had measurable rainfall last week. […]
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