Saturday at the rodeo
NRA Finals Rodeo Week in St. Paul is a perfect celebration for the end of summer. Saturday was a full day with all kinds of festivities and two rodeo competitons.
Author: Jeff Gaye
Willie Nelson, the last leaf on the tree
Some autumns ago, I learned September Song from Willie Nelson’s highly acclaimed ‘Stardust’ record, possibly his finest work. My crackling thrift shop discovery has been spun many times on my old turntable. The imperfections on the record are somehow befitting. Willie gave one of the best concerts I ever saw back in 2014. Prolific then […]
“Get to know your farmer”: public welcomed to Open Farm Days
Everybody eats. And so everybody has to buy food. But not everybody knows how their food is produced. How is it grown, how is it processed? Is it healthy? Is it even safe? This weekend’s Alberta Open Farm Days set out to put people’s minds at ease by welcoming the public onto farms and downstream […]
Meeting a majestic ferruginous hawk
“The hawk is aerial brother of the wave which he sails over and surveys” – Henry David Thoreau An early morning drive to a quiet rural birding location, as the sun pokes its brightness onto the horizon, surely heals the soul. So it was as Elaine and I drove to the north end of Dalmead […]
Let the Games begin!
September is often seen as the beginning of a new year, as the summer winds down and various activities begin for a new season. But August has kept us hopping! Haying in the 30s is an annual highlight on the Lakeland’s summer calendar, of course; that was followed this past weekend by Open Farm Days, […]
Haying In The 30s is a celebration of generosity
Haying In The 30s happens in Mallaig every year, but it never gets old. The event, which raises money to help cancer patients, celebrates everything that’s good about rural Alberta living. Hundred of volunteers contribute time, toil, and talent throughout the year and on the August long weekend to put on an event that goes […]
M.D. Council declares state of municipal agricultural disaster
“Welcome to agriculture and Mother Nature,” said Janice Boden, the M.D. of Bonnyville’s manager of agricultural services. Boden was commenting on the dry conditions that have affected crops and pastures in the area, leading the M.D. to declare a state of agricultural disaster. Despite a promising spring, rainfall in the past few weeks has not […]
HEARTy Gras: hot music and cold drinks for a cool cause
Shrove Tuesday, the genuine Mardi Gras, was months ago. But early March isn’t the ideal time for outdoor music in Cold Lake. Respect and Cold Lake Brewing and Distilling are teaming up for another music-themed fundraiser for Hearts For Healthcare, following the success of Tubas In The Brewery last December. HEARTy Gras on Saturday, August […]
The farm gates are open, come on in!
Alberta Open Farm Days is a great source of information—and food One of the best ways to find out about your food is to make friends with your farmer. Alberta Open Farm Days (August 16-17) is your annual opportunity to visit local producers, learn about their operations, ask questions, and even try some of their […]
Summertime is saskatoon time
Its English name is derived from a Cree word, misâskwatômina. In the Dene Suline language, it is called k’injíe. Prairie people today know it as the saskatoon, a dark purple berry that ripens anytime from late June to mid-July. It grows abundantly across the prairies and in the boreal forest, and it has nourished people, […]