-
Barriers to Entry – An Introduction
I’m preparing to head to the Cultivating Resilience Conference on October 27th. The panel I’m on is called, “Food Security, National Security & Canada’s Agricultural Future” and the description is, “Through diverse perspectives, the conversation will examine how the sector can strengthen food sovereignty and resilience while positioning Canada for long-term growth and impact.” .…
-
On The Nature Of Work
Recently a post came across one of my social media feeds. In it, the farmer was talking about some of the stresses they encounter in the work they do. So far, so good. But then they trotted out this phrase: “Unless you’ve lived it, you can’t understand it.” . . . And my head exploded.…
-
A Philosophy of Farming
“When you know better, you do better” — so said Maya Angelou, the venerable and respected American poet and speaker. Ever since I started doing this work, I’ve been trying to articulate — with varying degrees of success — why I think it’s worth doing. And pigeons, it’s been a struggle. It was like trying…
-
Stars That Do Not Give A Damn
In 1957, the poet W. H. Auden wrote “The More Loving One.” This poem has long been a favourite of mine – for it’s candor, Auden’s mastery of his skills and for it’s blunt-but-beautiful message that some things are universal and inevitable. Autumn, for many of us, is a season of gorgeous colours, a crisp…
-
A Stool With More Legs
Arlene Dickinson recently made a compelling case for Canada to become the agrifood superpower it ought to be. I read it with interest. . . And then the wheels started turning. “Hang on a second,” I said to myself. . . I’ve linked to the post below so you can read it for yourself. If…
-
You Can’t Get Here From There?
The photos are beautifully lit. Maybe there’s a hand trailing over the grass or in the soil. The captions talk about things like “connection,” “ancestry,” “belonging,” “healing” or “rooted.” More and more often lately I am seeing posts that talk about Place. Without going into a lot of details or pointing out anyone in particular,…
-
A World Without Wendell
Late last night the news started to spread that Wendell Berry had died. Although perhaps not a household name outside particular circles, Mr. Berry was a giant in my world. A poet, a thinker/philosopher and a tireless advocate for the rural, the out-of-the-way and the wild. Now that he’s gone at the ripe old age…
-
Knowing Where To Knock
I wrote this for my August newsletter. It seemed to start a lot of conversations and so, once I surfaced from end-of-summer madness and before I disappear into September crazy, I thought I’d put the article up for you here. Let’s dig into craftwashing! I had never heard the term “craftwashing” before. Up until last…
-
Mental Health and Missing Conversations
We have gotten so much better at talking about mental health in agriculture. However, when I look at the stories in my own family, I know some important people are missing. It’s time they got a seat at this table. I talk a lot here on The Commons about reading land. About reading my animals…
-
All Hat, No Cattle
Bill 22 is now law. While I’m still supportive of the update to Alberta’s Animal Welfare and Protection legislation, a critical piece of the puzzle is mi$$ing. Back in April, when Alberta first introduced its long-overdue overhaul of the Animal Protection Act, I wrote about what the proposed changes might mean for farmers and animals.…
