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No Way But Through
Human error. Human choices. Sigh. Farmers or not, we’ve all been there – staring down a decision we wish with everything in us we could undo. A recent video by a prominent YouTuber brought this home (again). In the barn, alone and struggling, she made a choice, one I’m sure she’d love, with every cell…
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What Makes a Farm “Real”?
In the heart-tugging children’s book “The Velveteen Rabbit,” the central question is the difference between what is “real” and what is not. The sage nursery resident, the Skin Horse, tells the rabbit that in the end, authenticity is determined not by what you look like to other people but by what you have endured to…
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Worth Their Weight: Looking at Labels, Part 2
So now we know that not all labels are created equal. For producers, where is it worth spending your time to get certified? And for consumers, which parts of the process of getting raw fibre into finished product are worth labeling? As in many things, it all comes down to where you think things need…
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Do Labels Matter? Looking at Labels, Part 1
Let’s take a look at labels! What are they for? What do they do and what lies below the label? To do this, we’re going to start at the Canadian Mint. Yes. Really. (This is Part 1. If you’re looking for Part 2 of this series, click here. ) Maybe you heard that the Royal…
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Artificial Intelligence – Honesty and The Best Policy
Recently, I got a message from a former mentor in the permaculture space I had approached looking for feedback on The Commons. What he had to say made me very – very! – angry. What did he say? And most importantly, how am I going to respond? When I was building The Commons, I had…
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Strychnine.
There. I said it. The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan have been granted an emergency permit to use strychnine “to support integrated pest management of Richardson Ground Squirrels.” What can the public expect? What has been the process to this point? And given the rampant and indiscriminate killing power of the poison, are those procedures…
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Monette Farms – Not Very Sportsmanlike
Economics is one thing, physics is another. . . What happens when both systems fail under pressure? Let’s take a closer look at Monette Farms – massive Canadian corporate mega-farm – and see what their current situation can tell us about precariousness, size and misalignment. Let’s just be sure we get one thing worked out…
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Permaculture Principle No. 4, “Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback”
Easily my most favouritest permaculture principle!! And look! Just now, the Real World has provided a high-profile example. Let’s dive in! What is feedback and how does the World Bank’s recent mea culpa fit into feedback and agriculture?? Juniper (right) and Charlotte (left) are having the kind of discussion that precedes “feedback” in the sheep…
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Alberta Updates Animal Welfare Legislation
Bill 22 is heading to the Legislature! What does it mean for farmers? What does it mean for animals? What does “better” livestock animal welfare look like? Alberta has tabled a long-overdue overhaul of its Animal Protection Act — the first significant update in roughly two decades. With a massive jump in fines for infractions…
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Put Up, Or Shut Up
Wool is having a moment! . . . Just, not here. Why is that? What have these other places got that we don’t? At the most recent Olympic Games in Milan, the American Olympic team wore uniforms made with wool sourced by Ralph Lauren from Oregon’s Shaniko Wool Company. If you’ve been paying attention, you…
Providence Lane Homestead 