A Theatre Experience Tailor-Made For Rural Saskatchewan

source: Farm and Food Report

“Farmer Joe is tired of losing his shirt on the farm so he plants the ultimate cash crop….” Talk about an attention-grabber. Farmer Joe and the Money Trees is Dancing Sky Theatre’s latest offering and yet another collective creation that is likely to hit home like no other, according to Meacham resident, actor and director Angus Ferguson.

“We stage entertainment that is tailor-made for rural Saskatchewan,” Ferguson says. “Our plays reflect what rural people experience. When you look at most television programming today, 90 per cent of what is aired targets urban audiences. There is very little out there that addresses rural life. We wish to change that.”

Ferguson explains that Farmer Joe and the Money Trees is a humorous and thought provoking look at priorities and values. The play is performed in the style of old English pantomime and loosely based on the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.

“Pantomime lends itself extremely well to stories such as fairytales because it is a form of theatre that is extremely accessible,” explains Ferguson. “It’s great fun really. Think of it along the same lines as harlequin, burlesque and sketches. Its roots are hundreds of years old, but it is still relevant today because it speaks to the people and is clearly identified with the Christmas season back in England. Except that we are really creating our own rural Saskatchewan version in this case.”

The artists and the community behind Dancing Sky Theatre have much to be proud of. The company was started 10 years ago. The plays are staged in the old Ukrainian Orthodox Hall completed in 1925 and moved to its current location from four miles away in the early 1950s. The place is equipped with a traditional proscenium stage, but seating can be arranged in a variety of configurations, depending on production requirements. Up to 115 guests at a time have attended performances there.

An evening with Dancing Sky may involve a home-cooked meal served right in the hall.

“We are well aware of the needs of rural people who must drive long distances to go places,” Ferguson says. “Between 60 and 70 per cent of our audience is rural, with about 30 per cent who drive 40 minutes from Saskatoon. People who come from Watrous, Bruno or Lanigan appreciate having a meal before the performance.”

The Meacham-based professional theatre company prides itself in hiring only Saskatchewan actors. Farmer Joe and the Money Trees may well be the perfect Christmas present for rural families, but really, everyone is invited as long they want to have fun and their heart is in the right place. Performances will take place December 3 to 19. Tickets are available by calling (306) 376-4445.

For more information, contact:

Angus Ferguson
Dancing Sky Theatre
(306) 376-4445
www.dancingskytheatre.com

Nativity Story Takes On Farm Flavour Near Regina Beach

source: Farm and Food Report

At the Two Spirit Guest Ranch and Retreat near Regina Beach, good ideas are harvested by the bushel.

Co-owner Denise Needham had always been curious about the one big story that moves everyone around Christmas. Her partner, Lee Tennyson, who also works as a United Church Chaplain at the palliative care unit of a Regina hospital, undertook to re-write the Nativity story in a reverent way and then interpret it in a contemporary setting. Thus, the “Christmas in a Barn Pageant” was born.

Last year, the two business women, who also operate a senior care home on the farm, welcomed 400 guests over 10 evenings to relive the story right in their facilities, with their livestock.

“Depending on the arrangements we make, people come to Homestead Hall. We can feed them a whole turkey dinner with all the trimmings, salads and vegetables,” explained Denise Needham. “We invite people to dress in Nativity scene outfits we provide. We then move over to the barn as a group.”

The whole yard has been specially decorated with lights in an arrangement that helps create the right atmosphere. Tennyson then proceeds to narrate the story while Needham cues the improvised re-enactors.

“Mary gets tapped on the shoulder in an improvised manner (she doesn’t have to say any lines); all of a sudden our pony appears and she is invited to get on his back. Soon after, Joseph is handed the halter… and so the story goes.”

Guests are invited to dress warmly and to bring an old blanket, as the temperature in the barn is the same as outside. At the end, guests are invited back to the house for hot chocolate. Blankets are often donated to people in need. Last year, the pair collected over a hundred for the Carmichael Outreach Project.

“We find that this is an opportunity for people to reconnect with the real meaning of Christmas. Someone loaned us a miniature donkey for the event this year. Last year, one of our sheep had a late lamb, which we were able to produce to be held in someone’s arms in December. We also had a very pregnant cow at the time,” quips Needham.

Asked if there were some special challenges in recreating the Christmas story with a multitude of animals, Needham recalls one performance in particular:

“Lee usually trains the sheep to go straight to a pile of strategically located oats a couple of days before we stage the pageant. Last year, one night, someone forgot to put out the oats. The four sheep were let loose and they went running around like crazy looking for their missing reward. Our guests thought this was a cleverly orchestrated choreography. I guess now… they know it wasn’t.”

The pageant also features musical pieces from artists like Manheim Steamroller, Reba McEntire and Jerry Vale… even Bob Marley’s Go Tell It On The Mountain is featured.

Tickets are available for nights between November 26 and December 31st on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Other nights are available for larger groups upon request. Just call (306) 731-2200 for more information or to make reservations.

For more information, contact:

Denise Needham
Two Spirit Guest Ranch and Retreat
(306) 731-2200
http://tinyurl.com/5dn6n

Migrant Workers Help Producers Deliver On Their Contracts

source: Farm and Food Report

Looking to Mexico to recruit farm labourers might not have been Shawn Hansen’s natural choice, but it sure has made a whole lot of difference in his ability to deliver on his Craven Riverside Gardens’ contracts.

“It is like an insurance policy to make sure that we get our crops off the field in time and shipped off to the markets,” Hansen says. “You never know what the weather is going to be like in the fall. We couldn’t do this without these employees. It really does give us the added flexibility at crucial stages.”

Hansen is one of a handful of producers who are taking advantage of the Commonwealth Caribbean and Mexican Seasonal Workers Program, a temporary work visa program for farm jobs in Canada. The program is administered through Human Resource Development Canada as a pilot project, with the active participation of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization (SAFRR).

Scott Wright is SAFRR’s Director of Crop Development: “Our growers have expressed how pleased they are with the pilot project so far. We are going into our third year of the three-year pilot. We expect to bring in between 30 and 40 workers from Mexico next year to Saskatchewan, after which we will evaluate results for the whole project.”

“Typically, these are skilled or semi-skilled workers who have worked before in agricultural operations in Mexico or in programs such as this elsewhere,” says Wright. “The intent is to use this additional workforce to help grow our fruit, vegetable, nursery and apiary sectors, and to create new opportunities for employment in Saskatchewan agriculture through that growth.”

Before they enrol in the program, the sector undergoes a diagnostic to examine the challenges their particular operation faces, and affirm the labour constraints. They must assume a number of responsibilities. For instance, they must pay the travel costs of these employees and provide them accommodations while they are in Saskatchewan.

Craven Riverside Gardens has recruited six employees through the program this year:

“They have been busy lately packing potatoes and trimming cabbages for our Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba clients,” explains Shawn Hansen. “One of them speaks English reasonably well, so he supervises the others. Two of them came in June; two at the beginning of July; and, two more at the end of August. They go off in the fields, they are shown what to do and they catch on really quick because they have done this kind of work before.”

Two of Hansen’s Mexican employees worked with him last year, which makes it easier for them to get rolling when they arrive. They generally ask for 60 hours a week of guaranteed work to make it worth their while. They have families back home that depend on this income, and they earn considerably more here than they would back in Mexico.

“They all live in a house on the farm,” says Shawn Hansen. “They look after their own needs and we tend to give them their space and some privacy when they are not at work, which is normal under the circumstances. We take them to Regina every two weeks so they can get some groceries. If one needs to see a physician, we look after that and costs are covered by Saskatchewan Health under this arrangement.”

Hansen notes that, since he started to participate in the pilot project, he has experienced much less of a turnover among his regular Canadian employees —a development that can be directly attributed to the ability of these workers to fill in the gaps in a timely manner.

Given the role they play in helping ensure the success of the operation, it is not surprising that growers consider these migrant workers somewhat of an extended family. Viva Mexico!

For more information, contact:

Scott Wright, Director
Crop Development Branch
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 787-4661

On The Importance Of Making Quality Time For Farm Succession Planning

source: Farm and Food Report

There is just never enough of it, yet so much depends on setting time aside to think and plan for the future — farm transfers can be smooth or bring families to the verge of self destruction.

If Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization’s (SAFRR’s) Lyle Darwent has learned one thing in his long career providing advice to producers in the province, it is that making time to talk about succession is as important as anything else in the business of agriculture.

“From the moment a farmer starts to acquire assets and build equity into their operation, questions about succession need to be asked,” Darwent says. “Farm families should start exploring how they will integrate their children in the operation as early as possible.”

Of course, even the best-laid plans may not come to fruition. Children may develop other career interests. But planning may contribute to engendering interest in a farming career as well, explains Darwent.

“Typically on a family farm, children may be invited by their parents to rent additional land or to buy some livestock. Parents are in a position to offer their kids the use of machinery and facilities to help them out. They may be willing to consider “sweat equity” as payment through a machinery-labour exchange.”

As parents get older, they no longer want to expand the farm. They pull back.

“The children will be more willing to invest in additional assets. Generally the farm size will have to increase if the goal is to develop a farm operation that will support two or three families, depending on the number of children who decide to farm.”

But succession planning also involves some serious psychological challenges, as well.

“There are three aspects that come into play. First, there is the ownership decision-making process for the operation. Then, there is the labour and management factor. A parent who has run the farm for years has a wealth of experience and wisdom. On the other hand, a child brings new ideas and a fresh look at the operation. It’s all good,” Darwent says.

But the third aspect is what makes or breaks the whole thing, according to Lyle Darwent. It is the human factor and it tends to get overlooked in succession planning.

“Very often, it is the mother who gets caught in the middle, for example, between a son and a father. In working toward a successful farm transfer, zero tolerance is nobody’s friend. Everyone must accept that there is more than one way of getting positive results. Sometimes parents find it difficult to accept that. Understandably so, because parents are employers and partners — and kids are employees and junior partners. All partners come with their own sets of values.”

In essence, the only way to address the issue in a meaningful way is to discuss everyone’s goals, and how they harmonize with the goals of the family as a whole. Sitting down and taking the time to discuss issues at length with a clear head is the only route to success. Darwent has this advice for those who face such a challenge:

“Look at successful farms in your area. Normally, family members and partners in these operations have learned to work together. And when families have gone through this process, they get a real sense of accomplishment when things work. On the other hand, when you see family farms break up, the efficiencies of the whole intact operation disappear. There is always a measure of sadness when that happens.”

If farm operators are serious about succession planning and are willing to invest in ensuring a smooth farm transfer, the new Federal-Provincial Renewal Program laid out in the Agricultural Policy Framework makes matching funds of up to $8,000 available under Specialized Business Planning Services (SBPS) through the Canadian Farm Business Advisory Services (CFBAS). The money can be used to hire a consultant to prepare for the future.

For more information, contact:

Lyle Darwent
Renewal Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 446-7479

Common Sense Works Best In Protecting Feed From Wildlife

source: Farm and Food Report

They may be a pretty sight in the yard when the sun rises, but deer can also be a bit of a nightmare when it comes to keeping them away from stacked hay and grain stored in the open.

Lindsey Leko is a Conservation Officer at Saskatchewan Environment’s (SE) Weyburn Field Office. “Every year, producers have come to expect some amount of damage. It is not so much what the deer eat that is a problem, but what they soil. Cattle won’t eat the feed once deer have urinated on it. In some areas, the damage is considerable and recurring. Our officers will work with producers to minimize damage, and there are a number of strategies we employ.”

One of the most common techniques is the use of intercept feed. SE will buy a bale from the producer and move it to a location away from feed storage areas. The deer will be drawn to the high quality feed at a non-threatening location and leave critical stacks alone.

Unprotected grain piles are always a challenge. Even a tarp will eventually break apart from the trampling action of deer hooves. Leko’s advice is to move the grain to a more secure location as quickly as possible.

If one must absolutely leave bales in the field, it is always best to create multi-bale stacks in order to minimize the total surface exposure of the feed to wildlife. Bales may be harder to pick up when they are stacked, but the overall protection is greater that way.

Where problems persist, the use of cenoflex, a nylon mesh that comes in a roll and can be wrapped around the stack, provides a viable solution to exposed feed.

Closer to home, building a fence with straw or slough hay bales using a building as an additional wall will give the necessary protection for feed stored in the yard. A gate may even be built to facilitate regular access. Key to success will be the periodic removal of snow near the fence to preserve the integrity of the protective structure. You might want to even blow the snow on top of the bales to add height to your fence and provide an additional deterrent.

Conservation officers recommend a combination of protective measures to ensure maximum success. Scarecrows will assist in keeping deer away. A couple of 2 x 4s assembled as a cross with some old clothes will do. Moving it around regularly will prevent deer from getting used to it.

Scare cannons that run on propane are another option, although perhaps not the wisest solution when used near a home.

Lindsey Leko recommends stringing pie plates, installing strobe lights or using motion sensor-activated yard lights, coupled with perhaps a transistor radio blaring out tunes.

Hungry whitetails that come out at night will quickly lose their fear of humans, but they will always keep an eye out for dogs. A male dog of any thick-coated, naturally territorial breed that is trained to patrol will work wonders. Just remember that under the law, dogs can be shot if they chase deer. Making sure they don’t stray too far from the yard is crucial.

SERM’s deer depredation mitigation tactics are most effective when agricultural producers show a willingness to find long term solutions. This may involve even the erection of a permanent fencing structure paid for by SE using the producer’s labour to build it as equity, in the case of particularly vulnerable operations.

A partnered, commonsense approach makes a world of difference.

The Prairie Swine Centre Lends A Helping Hand To The Media

source: Farm and Food Report

How the media can influence public perception of agricultural activities is increasingly being recognized among producers as a domain that warrants special care and attention.

Inviting journalists on one’s premises, however, brings with it risks that often go well beyond those of “not getting the message across” while attempting to generate positive media coverage. The real financial implications of bio security issues can just not be ignored.

Organizations like the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon will often lend a helping hand to the industry by making its resources available to the media. Lee Whittington is Manager of Information Services at the Centre. He regularly takes media through the barns:

“The hog sector is one that finds itself in the news fairly often. It is in our best interest to not only establish a rapport with journalists who cover the stories that are generated, but also to make sure they have access to fresh support materials such as still photographs or video footage,” says Whittington.

He adds: “We are all surprised at times to see grainy old footage on television to illustrate a particular news story. We ask ourselves, why are these pictures being used when we know they do not reflect recent developments in barn management practices? It is probably because that was the only footage the television station had.”

The Prairie Swine Centre makes a point of allowing media organizations in to refresh their “stock shots” whenever it gets a request. The pork interpretive gallery makes this a whole lot easier because it is a specially-designed facility built right on top of the Swine Centre’s barns, with windows set into the floor to allow viewing of the various stages of hog development. The interpretive displays feature information on the actual stages in the life of a pig. It allows visitors to see just how much hog production methods have evolved over the years.

Special treatment of the media is warranted for the good of the industry. Whittington actually will allow videographers in the barns, provided they agree to certain precautions:

“When a TV crew or a journalist — no matter who — makes a request to film inside our facility, he or she must agree to take a shower when they come in. And then we provide them with a complete set of clean clothes — including even underwear — in order to preserve the biological integrity of the unit. The same principles apply to the equipment they bring in.”

Whittington explains that cameras, microphones and recorders must be disinfected with alcohol swabs before they are allowed inside. It takes a little time, but this is something journalists generally understand because of the consequences that potential infectious diseases could have on the operation.

He points out that “in many ways, this brings home to journalists - to anyone who is allowed inside our facility - that agricultural production is an extremely sophisticated activity; that those who choose agriculture as a way of life must acquire a significant body of knowledge on complex issues if they want to be successful in today’s increasingly competitive world. We certainly feel that the time we spend taking the media behind-the-scenes helps us fulfill our public education mandate.”

In the same breath, Whittington adds:

“For a private production facility to allow media representatives to penetrate into its most vulnerable units would be too high a risk to take. At the Swine Centre, we have well established procedures that enable us to be gracious hosts, yet effective from a bio security stand point.”

For more information on the Prairie Swine Centre, contact Lee Whittington at (306) 667-7447 or visit the Centre’s Web site at www.prairieswine.com.

Manitoba Grazing School Keeps Attracting Saskatchewan Participants

source: Farm and Food Report

Neil Dennis is a Wawota-area grazier attending the Manitoba Grazing School in Brandon as a presenter over the next three days because of the success he has enjoyed recently.

“A few years ago I got interested in holistic resource management. Basically, you graze cattle the way bison used to hit the grass. In the spring, you skim graze the pasture and then you wait 60 to 90 days before you hit the grass again. This way the root system has a chance to develop; surface rainwater trickles all the way down; and, the plant grows back stronger than ever. I’ll be showing before and after photographs in a PowerPoint presentation.”

The annual Grazing School, which started in 1997, sells out every year, with 450 participants who come from the Prairie Provinces, North Dakota and from as far away as Ontario. The Manitoba Forage Council spearheads the initiative with the assistance of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association and the Western Forage Beef Group.

Roberta Currah is with the Organizing Committee: “We have had as many as 70 participants come from Saskatchewan in the past. For many of them, Brandon is a pretty accessible location. But I would attribute some of our success to the care with which we consult our producers when we ask them what topics are relevant to them.”

The program includes presentation and discussion topics such as: Export Markets to Other Countries, Grazier Arithmetic, Freedom 75 — Retiring Your Cows Later in Life, Are You Serious About Growing Grass and Making Money with Grass Calves.

The opportunity to share experiences with colleagues in the field is priceless to participants. Evidently, there is much to learn at this event. Neil Dennis is the first to admit that in range ecology, sound management practices may not necessarily be what they seem:

“I have learned that when I graze the way I do now, it is very important to maintain a high stock density of yearlings. I put 430 head on 0.8 acre using portable fencing. This way, the urine is spread more evenly on the whole lot and the nitrogen gets everywhere, enhancing pasture growth. I’m now getting 187 pounds of gain per acre on my grass, just by working with nature.”

The proceedings from the Manitoba Grazing School will eventually be published and made available to the public. Contact Roberta Currah at the Manitoba Forage Council to acquire a copy at (204) 889-5699.

Cattle Producers Need To Keep Testing For BSE

Canada may have met its BSE surveillance objectives for 2004, with well over 10,000 heads tested to date, but remaining vigilant with cattle that are coming off pastures now could help make life a whole lot easier for producers in terms of meeting next year’s objectives.

Marsha Cannon is a Beef Industry Consultant with SAFRR.

“The number of tests we are committed to as our contribution to the surveillance program for 2005 is much higher than this year’s — close to 7,000 for the province alone.”

Saskatchewan was lagging a bit behind in terms of its own expectations of 1,834 tests at the beginning of November, with only 1,400 animals tested, according to Past President of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Bob Bellamy:

“We are working with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) to create mechanisms that will ensure we meet our objectives. The RM offices in communities across Saskatchewan are now making brochures and literature available in their premises,” said Bellamy. “Whereas the bad news is that cattle producers will pay the price if we don’t meet our objectives, the good news is that the instrument that will ensure success is the producers themselves.”

Dr. Darcy Undseth is a BSE Specialist at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA):

“This is about maintaining confidence in our beef supply in Canada and around the world. Surveillance — or looking for potential BSE in older animals — is a means to meet international health rules. Performing the tests gives our industry credibility when we claim that Canada is a minimum risk country in the eyes of our trading partners,” according to Dr. Undseth.

He adds: “We must test 30,000 animals if we want to demonstrate that we are as committed to BSE surveillance as our American neighbours who are testing an equivalent sample of their total herd, which is roughly eight to 10 times as large as ours. But that is a minimum level only. Exceeding it would show the depth of our commitment that much more.”

The BSE expert encourages cattle producers to be on the lookout for older cows and those thinner or slightly incapacitated, as they would make ideal candidates for tests. If a producer locates an animal that fits the profile, he or she should call CFIA or a veterinarian who would then come out and collect a sample. There is funding available to cover carcass handling and some unexpected testing costs.

While the analysis is carried out, the producer is required to keep an eye on the carcass for 48 hours until test results are available, or to dispose of it appropriately.

Cattle producers are urged to look at potentially higher risk animals — meaning those with more likelihood of ever being exposed to BSE. They are known as the four "Ds": downed, diseased, dying and dead animals over the age of 30 months.

In the event an animal tests positive, CFIA doesn't depopulate the entire herd because the disease is not transferred from animal to animal. Rather, animals of equivalent risk would be targeted, including the most recent born offspring and animals born within 12 months of the affected animal. CFIA depopulated a number of extra animals in 2003 as a precautionary measure because it was Canada's first case.

What would the real impact be on a herd? It depends on the quality of records that are kept. Producers should keep track of the age of animals, which ones have left or come into the herd in the last year. Records or invoices for incoming complete feed or protein supplements are required.

CFIA’s Dr. Undseth suggests a team approach to increase efficiencies: “Producers might want to contact a group of neighbours who would each find an animal and then call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to systematically test. That way one trip would yield several samples and a much-appreciated contribution to the industry’s collective effort.”

What are the risks to the cattle industry if a cow tests positive? Canada can actually detect six positive cases of BSE without suffering trade restrictions every 12 months and still maintain minimum risk levels. It is reasonable to expect that additional cases will be found, but there would also be recognition that Canada has acted responsibly and proactively to address BSE.
For information on how to report an animal for testing, producers are asked to call CFIA's information line at 1-866-400-4244 during business hours, or dial 1-877-SaskBSE.

British Farmers Fall In Love In Saskatchewan

When John Lewis first came to Saskatchewan in late January of this year, he absolutely fell in love with the prairies.

“I am in awe of the space, the hospitality and the opportunity to start anew as an agricultural producer in Canada. It has become very difficult to operate a family farm in England and I’m a farmer at heart. My family and I are willing to consider all possibilities, even if it means immigrating.”

Lewis came to visit his in-laws who immigrated to the Willowbrook area north of Melville after they bought a farm there in June last year.

On his second visit, in June this year, his wife Catherine accompanied John. They were about to spend a week travelling throughout the province, looking for a suitable property.

As they flew to Regina they looked through the window, fascinated by the expanse of land, the irrigation systems, the network of sections, quarters and roads that give our landscape its distinctive qualities.

They were met at the airport by Bob Lane’s farm real estate team. Since 1998, Regina-based Lane Realty has helped about 50 farm families move to Saskatchewan from Europe.

“About half of them come from the United Kingdom, the others are from Germany, Austria and France, generally. We list the farms and ranches on our Web site but we also attend agriculture trade shows in Europe where we tell attendees about the Saskatchewan lifestyle, farming practices, social amenities, and educational opportunities here,” says Bob Lane.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program has simplified the immigration process for farm owners and operators who wish to relocate to our province. Applicants must be individuals with proven experience in farming, substantial capital available to invest in a farming operation, and who have made a signed offer to purchase land for a farming operation in Saskatchewan.

James and Christine Akrigg are often used as Saskatchewan ambassadors by Bob Lane, who regularly brings to them potential immigrants from the UK. They themselves moved from England’s Lake District in 1999 and bought a farm in the Dysart area with their three grown-up sons. They realized that their new house was somewhat bigger than their needs warranted. Within a couple of months, they opened up the Jumping Deer Bed and Breakfast. A stay with them helps put their guests’ fears to rest.

“You literally burn your bridges when you leave England. You must sell your farm to secure financing here. It is very much a leap of faith. We left the mountains but we got in exchange all that sunlight that you have here in Saskatchewan. And the sense of community is priceless, ” says Christine Akrigg. “Newcomers with children must put them in school and start getting involved in local activities.”

This is what happened to Laura and Robin Smith, John Lewis’ in-laws. After a year and a half in Saskatchewan with three children, two of pre-school age, they had to mix in. What they didn’t expect was to find themselves combining in sub-zero temperatures:

“For us to have imagined the environmental conditions in which farm producers must operate would have been difficult. For instance, back in England there is much to do on the farm in the winter. Here you are much more limited because of the climate. It is a different world.”

Reached on the phone in England, John Lewis still ponders what the future holds for his wife Catherine, their four children and himself.

“We saw one property we liked on our last trip, but it was not the right fit for us. We are keeping our ears to the ground. There has been a major development in our lives recently. We sold our farm — the entire lot as we say here. Someone approached us with an offer we couldn’t refuse. We are now tenants in our former home. As you can imagine, many questions enter our mind as to what the future holds for our family. Moving to Saskatchewan is one of the options we are considering.”

There is solace in knowing that newcomers can count on Saskatchewan hospitality to make their farming transition a little easier on the mind and the heart… John and Catherine are well aware of that.