Air, water, food, shelter, and a reason to live were and still are the basic necessities of life. If any of these five necessities are missing both man and animal will move on. In earliest times man was responsible for

When friends get together and start to chat sooner or later they will talk about gas being cheaper across the river. They don’t mention that the tax system is a little different there too. They also don’t mention that on

Not everything on the farm was fresh air and the picturesque sight of contented cows on pasture. Fifty years ago when we went to the barn to milk after bringing the cows in from summer pasture, I remember walking into

When many of us baby boomers started to school there were very few kids with allergies or special needs. My cousin was the only person that I knew who had diabetes. There was one kid in school with asthma. There

There is nothing else that is as imprinted in a farmer’s mind than memories of cold snaps on the farm. This is the weather when the radio announcers warn us about keeping extra warm clothes, a candle, mitts, a full

Well, the Christmas shopping is almost finished. Will everyone get what they really want? The kids know that they have been good and hope Santa remembers to bring the right gift this year. They also hope that there are not

Sometimes we have to look back to appreciate what changes lie ahead. One evening in the 1960s while listening to my grandfather and some of his friends reminisce about changes in farming, my grandfather stated that the two most important

Whether we work on a farm or in the city, we all live in a house or apartment. Whether the dwelling is new or a century home, many of us appreciate the charm of an old house. As we get

That’s the question we ask friends, neighbours, and ourselves every time another farmer chooses to end their troubled life. What would drive this smart, hardworking person to choose such a senseless end? Of the ten or more victims that I

November 11 is just past and many of us either attended Remembrance Day services or if you were unable to attend, watched a ceremony on television. If you watched any documentaries around Nov. 11 then the ugliness of war is