saskatchewan

#OurFoodHasAStory Post 4: Tara Davidson on Ranching, Family and Prairie Conservation

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Day four of Agricuture Month in Saskatchewan brings us a guest post from Tara Davidson. Tara is a friend and fellow RancHER from Ponteix, Sask. Her ability to work the ranch on a daily basis with her children, including a tiny baby, astounds me – she is a Super Woman!! While our ranches are quite different, I am continually amazed at how closely our stories align. I hope you enjoy Tara’s food story!! 

Follow Tara on Twitter @tara_m_davidson or check out her Lonesome Dove Ranch here. 

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It’s October in Saskatchewan, which means it’s a busy time of year for farmers and ranchers. It’s also Agriculture Awareness Month and I’m pleased to share my food story.

Along with my husband Ross and our four young children, we own and operate Lonesome Dove Ranch, in southwest Saskatchewan near Ponteix. We run a cow-calf operation, rely on ranch horses and cattle dogs in our daily work, and (mostly) enjoy the ups and downs of a large working cattle ranch.

I’m a rancHER, so part of my food story includes raising purebred and commercial Gelbvieh cattle. We raise cattle that other ranchers purchase to build their herds from and we also raise cattle that go into the food chain. Whichever the destination, my story includes understanding why I use certain production practices on my farm and being able to explain them to others, whether it is a fellow cattle producer or the general consuming public. For us, accountability is an essential part of operating our ranch.


I’m a mother, so part of my food story means trying to provide our children with a nutritious and balanced diet. Like many families, we are on the run with school and extracurricular activities but fortunately we are lucky most nights to have supper together as a family. Trying to plan and prepare meals for four hungry kids (ok, three – my infant is pretty easy to feed at the moment!) is always a constant, underlying responsibility. When consumers tell me safety, cost, and convenience are high on their priority list, I completely understand because they are important to me as well!


I’m a Professional Agrologist and work as a grassland specialist. Part of my food story is the story behind raising cattle… the grasslands, water resources, and biodiversity that cattle play a role in conserving! Livestock graze land that is unsuitable for producing food, converting native prairie and tame forage into beef, all while maintaining habitat for species at risk, pollinators and other wildlife. Grasslands sequester carbon, filter nutrients, retain rainfall (a pretty precious resource in my neck of the woods), maintain soil biological health, and they require few inputs, other than fence and stock water.  

I’m a writer, so part of my food story is…writing food stories! I need to continuously ask myself, who is my audience? What are my objectives? If I’m writing on behalf of an organization, am I sure that I’m representing them appropriately? If I’m writing as “me” on my blog, am I sharing thought-provoking content? Or am I just ranting? I hope to share my perspective as a rancHER in a way that I’m proud of and can stand behind.  


Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end and the storyline depends largely on who is doing the telling. Food stories are no different, and everyone’s role and voice is valuable, whether it’s that of a farmer, a concerned consumer, a curious parent, a research scientist, or a food retailer.


I’m raising my family while growing food that feeds other families, in a way that conserves land and water resources. That is my food story, and I’m proud of it.

#OurFoodHasAStory Post 3: Candace By, An Agriculturalists Living in the City

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Today’s guest post is from Candace By, someone I would call an agriculturist – someone who works in agriculture, although they may not actively farm themselves. I am always interesting in people’s opinions on food and farming from those who do not raise food themselves, yet have a close relationship with those who do.  I hope you enjoy her Saskatchewan Food Story as much as I did! 

Follow Candace on Twitter at @ByCandace and see her work at Charolais Banner here. 

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Being raised on a mixed farm provided me with a broad spectrum of food experience. We had our own beef, our own chickens, and a large garden for canning and freezing the fresh tastes of summer.

I have lived in the city now longer than I lived on the farm. When we first bought our house I was excited to plant a garden, albeit a small garden. I planted it with the faith of all gardeners and a mouth watering for fresh home-grown tomatoes I would undoubtedly enjoy later. Our beautiful yard did not lend itself well to tomatoes. The heavy clay soil and strong canopy of shade provided by an over abundance of trees, just didn’t grow tomatoes.

Being the optimist I am, I thought I would try something different the next year. Zucchini appeared to be the solution. Who can’t grow zucchini? Apparently our yard can’t. With all of the care and watering, we still received no zucchini to feast upon. 

The decision was simple – unless we moved or took out a ton of trees, we would have to rely on the farmers of the area for our fresh, home-grown summer flavours. We are fortunate to live in a city that has a Farmer’s Market twice a week and a Market Garden that is open every day of the week.

We support the people who make a living growing the produce we enjoy. We admit they have the land prepared for the venture. They know the companion crops that work best. They bring it to our city and we willingly pay for its goodness.

Although I may not be able to grow a garden, I still take pride in cooking my food the farm way– from scratch. It never ceases to amaze me how even the simplest meal can receive rave reviews from our city friends. I often wonder why? They want to know what I put in my hamburgers. What is the secret ingredient in my fruit crisp? There are no secret ingredients. Maybe it is the confidence I have in our food. Maybe it is the love I put in the meals I prepare. Maybe it is knowing the ingredients I buy are safe and full of wholesome goodness. Maybe it is the cooked-from-scratch dishes that not everyone is used to these days.

Now we are content to have beautiful flowers and a nice lawn. I have found I can grow an abundance of fresh herbs and keep my dehydrator going for weeks in the fall. I can even make mojito mint ice-cubes to last until next summer. It makes me feel like a piece of me is still farming.

We will continue to do what we can and support those who do what we can’t. We will use others’ skills and produce for our home-cooked gourmet goodness. We will continue to be thankful we live in a country where we can walk into a store and see well-stocked shelves. 

#OurFoodHasAStory Post 2 Kylie McRea 

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My first guest blog post was written by a good friend of mine, Kylie McRea. Kylie and Darren Ippolitto have been a huge part of our ranch success, as we buy the majority of our bulls from them. Their genetics, as well as their experience and wisdom have helped us improve our cattle herd year over year. As a new mother, I was looking forward to reading Kylie’s food story. Enjoy!!

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Thank you Adrienne for the opportunity to submit a blog post in celebration of “Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Month”.

My name is Kylie McRae, and I am part of the team at Moose Creek Red Angus {check them out here!}, a family run purebred and commercial Red Angus cattle operation at Kisbey, Saskatchewan.  

How lucky can a gal get… to be a part of Saskatchewan’s Agriculture industry. On a daily basis I get to work outside on the land, take care of animals, work with family, grow food for my family, and now I get the opportunity to raise our son Kord here on the ranch. 

 Kord was lucky enough to be born at the beginning of our calving season, February 21st. With this being our first child, it was suitable that I was giving birth in sync with the heifers (first time calvers). So from an early age he has been helping me on the ranch, everything from checking calves, bedding barns and feeding cows (those Ergo baby carriers sure are handy) because let’s face it, there is always work to be done. I think that exposing him to different types of animals, hay and other farm smells at a young age will reduce his risk of major allergies to pets, dust, hay etc. as he gets older.  

Kord is the lucky one now. He gets to grow up on a ranch; surrounded by his family, pets, livestock, friends and Mother Nature. I will be able to tell him to “get outside” and not have to worry about him staying in a fenced yard, or strangers… although I may have to put a sign in our yard to slow traffic down… but regardless growing up in the country is definitely a blessing. 

 I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm, and I am thankful that my parents chose to raise me there along with my siblings. The family values it instilled, lessons in teamwork, and close relationships we were able to form with grandparents and extended family was something I am truly grateful for.  

There is a strong sense of pride growing your own food, and you gain extra satisfaction at every meal. We are lucky to have a freezer full of beef and pork we raised, chicken from our neighbour, and fish from a northern fisherman. The beef may or may not have had added growth hormones, and maybe at some point it had to be treated with antibiotics for an ailment, but it really doesn’t matter to me. The food safety standards of Canadian beef assure me that by the time these animals are butchered, they are safe to eat. It is safe because the proper length of time has passed for the withdrawal periods, meaning any added hormones or antibiotics have long since left the animal’s system, so you are not eating them in your meat. All the fear marketing occurring these days is really just fear mongering without any science to substantiate claims. I ate beef all throughout my pregnancy, and I had a healthy happy pregnancy. The first meat Kord has tried, now that he is eating solids, was roast beef. Healthy, nutritious and safe to eat, Canadian beef is my protein of choice! Tonight for supper Kord got to eat a variety of foods raised right here on the ranch, beef, apples and beans! Now that is food with a story. #OurFoodHasAStory


 Supper for 7 month old Kord, made with homegrown beef, beans and applesauce from our ranch. #OurFoodHasAStory


 Kord enjoying his supper made from food all grown here on the ranch. #LoveCDNBeef #EatBeef #nomnom  

             

#OurFoodHasAStory Post 1 – Agriculture Month in Saskatchewan 

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October is here, so even more than falling leaves and harvest wrapping up, it means that it is officially Agriculture Month in Saskatchewan. 

Agriculture month is a time dedicated to celebrating all things food and agriculture in Saskatchewan. Perhaps more important than the celebration of agriculture, Ag month is a time to bridge the gap between farmer and consumer. It is an open conversation about the amazing products that we raise and grow here, and how that food connects us all. 

For me, agriculture month is the perfect opportunity to tell more of the story of what happens on our ranch. The story of the beef, oats and canola that ends up not only on my family’s table, but on each of yours as well. It is also a perfect time for me to help other farmers share their stories.

I have committed to filling this blog up for October with stories of farming, stories of food, and the people both growing the food as well as those eating it. My hope is for a packed month of connecting people with farming, as well as connecting farmers with people. I hope for some awesome conversations, engaging questions, and learnings all around. I hope you will join in. 

If you are from Saskatchewan and would like to add a guest post about how you connect with food or agriculture, please let me know. We would all love to hear from you! 

Please consider taking a moment to share your food stories on Social Media and use the hashtag #OurFoodHasAStory. Not only will it help connect us all, it could also win you some fantastic prizes from the organizations behind this awesome campaign. 

Happy Agriculture Month Saskatchewan!!! 

Saskatchewan Can Do Better

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I read an article this morning that struck a nerve in me. Tiffany Paulsen’s article in the Leader Post (here) hit the nail on the head for me. Her exact sentiments have been rumbling around in my head for the past week. 

Last Thursday, when Premier Wall announced his upcoming retirement, I wrote an open letter to him, remembering the Saskatchewan I grew up in, where it has grown to, and thanking him for the hard work and dedication he has given to the people of this province. (Read it here.) 

As with all things political, I expected some engagement. I expected differing views. I had no idea that people would react with hate. With personal attacks and downright viciousness. 

Should I be shocked? Apparently there is still a healthy dose of “Old Saskatchewan” kicking around. Those who would rather vent and complain, attack and claw, rather than step up and create the change they would like to see.

I am not taking about the people who would like to see a change in government. That’s the great part about democracy – having differing views and holding responsible, adult conversations about them.

I am talking about the people who see a man, choosing to walk out the door, and taking that moment to take a swing at his back end as he is literally walking away. 

To those people, what exactly did you think your personal attacks would do? Make him leave politics? Wait. He already did that. Make him change the last budget? Pretty sure that petty name calling isn’t going to get you far in that. 

I wish we could all remember that these are real people we are dealing with. Just like every one of us. 

And if you think for one second that your comments were justified, I dare you to apply the same sentiments the next time someone retires from your work place. The next “Congratulations on your Retirement” card that is passed around the coffee room, stick to the same mentality. Because if you can comment viciousness on a letter to a retiring Premier, I can only imagine that you would also feel that “Get lost bag, you are a terrible nurse/teacher/lawyer/banker/whatever, and we can’t wait to see you gone”, would be an equally appropriate farewell comment for someone you disagree with in your workplace. I can’t wait to see their face when they open that card. 

So here is my plea. My call to action. 

If you can be anything, choose to be kind. 

As I tell my children, you cannot control others, you can only control yourself. So do better. Stop being mean and vindictive. If you want change, fair enough. Go create it. Stop attacking and start building. In Premier Wall’s words, it’s time for renewal in Saskatchewan. Let’s make this amazing province even better, starting with ourselves. 

An Open Letter to Brad Wall from a Young Saskatchewan Rancher

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Dear Premier Wall,

Today you announced your impending retirement from politics, from the position of Premier of Saskatchewan, and my heart broke a little. 

Born and raised here in Saskatchewan, I never dreamed of a leader like yourself. I never dreamed of what Saskatchewan, as a province, was capable of. For myself, your time as Premier was a little like the blind being blessed with sight, as I never had the smallest vision of what was possible. A vision that, thankfully, you did have. 

You see, I grew up in a very different Saskatchewan than the one that my children know. In my formative years, Saskatchewan was quite literally the joke of Western Canada. The gap, as Canada knew us as then. 

It was not until you took our amazing province’s reins that I dreamed that we could ever become anything but a have-not province. A sentiment I can only imagine was shared by the majority of my classmates, by the way they fled Saskatchewan in droves after completing their education. Your leadership changed that. 

With the last decade, I have developed the type of puffed chest pride of our province that can only be likened to that of my pride in my children. I have shouted to the world that right here, right now, Saskatchewan is THE best place in the world to live. THE best place in the world to raise my children. THE best place in the world to farm, ranch, and feed the people of this world. For that I thank you. 

Thank you for bringing the people of Saskatchewan together. Thank you for ensuring my children’s prosperity here. Thank you for making the difficult, unpopular decisions that are best for our province in the long run. Before you, I never knew that politicians could make decisions based on what is right, rather than what gains votes. For that I thank you. Thank you for making the RoughRiders win (ok, I may be getting a little carried away…). Thank you for teaching me the word “Jackwagon”. 

Thank you Premier Wall for pouring your heart and soul into Saskatchewan, because as you have proved, we are worth it.  

Sign with gratitude,

Adrienne Ivey

Our Latest Family Adventure – Jan Lake!

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We have exciting news in the Ivey Family – we have bought a cabin!! 

This may not be a momentous occasion for many families, but we have always had a way of life that seems a lot more like “work hard and work harder” than the traditional saying. 

You see, anyone that knows my husband will smile and nod their heads when I say that he is a workaholic. And it’s not an altogether bad thing. He is so fortunate to be able to do what he truely loves every day – cattle ranch. But, he and I both know that work/life balance is important, especially when it comes to spending quality time with our family. 

We chose Jan Lake because it is the only place on earth outside of the farm that Aaron loves. It is a quiet, wilderness type place, with just enough amenities to get you what you need. The six hour drive it takes us to get there is more than made up by the amazing location, in Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest surrounded by trees and the rock beds of the Canadian Shield. 

Rock walls along the road to the cabin.

Our lot is unbelievably beautiful. Right on the water, surrounded by trees, it is a northern paradise. 

You can catch your limit of walleye from our shoreline.



Of course, we couldn’t make it easy for ourselves! The cabin we bought needs some significant work. It is perfect structurally, but the inside needed a complete re-do, so we have a very busy summer ahead of ourselves. 

The kids worked hard on their bedroom.

The loft will be set up for guests

Any suggestions on what do do with these cupboards are welcome!!

We look forward to hosting friends and family, as well as watching our kids gather memories that will last their lifetime. 


All we need is a witty cabin name. Suggestions? 

See you at the lake!!! 

An Open Letter to Hunters (from a Rancher)

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Dear Deer Hunter,

This year during white tail deer hunting season here in Saskatchewan, I encourage you to re-think some of your past ways. As the owner operator of a large cattle ranch, I want you to realize that your actions have direct consequences for us. Every year, we dread the upcoming hunting season, which is so unfortunate because it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Every single year we have fences run over, gates left open, fences deliberately cut, cattle on the loose, and cattle riled up because of bullets whizzing around them. Not to mention, human lives put at risk.  Again, it doesn’t have to be this way. 

We are in no way against hunting. We understand, perhaps better than anyone, the importance of population control of our wildlife. We have hundreds and hundreds of deer eating at our feed yard over the winter. Trust me, we would much rather those deer be in your deep freeze. Although not hunters ourselves, we understand the sportsmanship of the hunt, but unfortunately a large number of your group are ruining it for all of you. 

Sitting on my front porch drinking coffee means hearing shots fired much too close for comfort. I don’t dare let my kids play in the pasture and I honestly fear for the safety of my husband and hired men as they are out fixing the fence that another hunter drove through the day before. This is no war-torn country, but we need to wear hunters orange to avoid getting shot on our own land. 

I understand that the laws in Saskatchewan protect your right to enter my land to shoot at will, but when does human common courtesy come in? Do you need to post a sign on your lawn asking me not to spin donuts on it? Or asking please don’t chop a hole through my front door so my dog runs away? We spend countless hours every year rounding up loose cattle solely because it was easier for you to drive through my fence than get out of your truck and WALK to shoot that deer. Did you know that when you leave a gate open, it means there is no electricity on the rest of that fence for miles and miles?

The thing is this – it is so easily rectified. There is such a simple solution.  Ask. Ask before you enter my land. Ask where it’s okay to hunt or not. Ask, and I will even tell you where I saw the biggest buck, or where the deer herd has been hanging out. Don’t know who to ask? There is a simple solution for that too!! For a very low price, every RM has maps that show you who owns each piece of land. Easy! If all else fails, stop in at a yard. Most of us can tell you who owns which land, and how to get ahold of them. For all the time and money you put into hunting, surely this is not too much to ask. For those that already do this, thank you! It is both noticed and appreciated. 

I know that our acres and acres of grassland looks like empty “nature” to you urbanites, but in reality, my husband may be just behind that bush fixing fence or treating a sick calf. My livelihood is likely just behind that bluff of trees. Do you use your paycheque as target practice? Or your pet dog for that matter?  

So many ranchers grumble and moan about how much they hate hunters, and the saddest part is that it doesn’t have to be this way. I won’t go into your house without asking. Offer me the same courtesy. 

Sincerely, 

Adrienne Ivey, Rancher  

Update: Since writing this post, we have posted all of our land as No Hunting. We hoped that this would solve the problem, but it has not. It has slowed the hunting traffic somewhat, but it is as dangerous as ever to care for our cattle. Last year, my husband was caught fixing fence in a bush out in the middle of our posted land, and hunters drove through the fence (past the No Hunting sign), and were shooting blindly into the bush in his vacinity. THIS MUST STOP. 

Tisdale’s New Slogan Breaks My Farming Heart

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I am so very proud to have grown up on a farm just outside of Tisdale, Saskatchewan. I have always said Tisdale is the perfect sized rural town – small enough to still feel small town, large enough to have all the amenities you really need. Like many Saskatchewan towns, Tisdale thrives on agriculture. The schools are full of farm kids, and the businesses rely on farm families as customers. 

I travel across Western Canada speaking about agriculture, and why farmers need to share their stories with the public. I consider myself to be an Agvocate – someone who speaks positively for agriculture. One of the (many) reasons I still feel so connected to my hometown is that Tisdale, and it’s unconventional slogan, made me an Agvocate long before it was even a word. 


You see, Tisdale’s slogan “Land of Rape and Honey” was always something people talked about. There were great conversations had from Toronto to Saskatoon about it. I have been explaining the connection between rapeseed and canola for decades. 

Rapeseed and its more popular cousin canola (see the difference between the two here), grow incredibly well in the Tisdale area. Grain farmers have grown both crops here with huge success. Rapeseed and Canola are a beautiful yellow flowered crop. And guess who loves flowers? Yep, honeybees. Beekeepers are abundant in the Tisdale area, due in large part to vast fields of rapeseed and canola that the bees thrive on, producing some of the best darn honey in the world! (I may be a little biased here…) 

Tisdale has now changed their slogan. Their Land of Rape and Honey days are over. They have reacted to the questions and side-eye glances by removing the controversy, and it breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because I am a proud farmer. Proud of what I grow and proud to answer any questions about it. It breaks my heart because I am a proud Tisdale girl. Proud of my roots, proud of my homeland, and proud to answer any questions about it. And finally, it breaks my heart because I am a proud marketer. I love all things marketing, and how words can move mountains. And in my mind, this slogan change is not a good marketing move. 

The purpose of a town slogan is to make your town memorable. To make it stand out from the thousands of other small rural communities. I think everyone can agree that Land of Rape and Honey accomplished this. From PEI to BC, I have had people ask where I am from, and when I say Tisdale, more often than not they immediately respond with the infamous slogan. Love it, hate it, understand it or not, Tisdale’s slogan was MEMORABLE. It was unique, applicable, memorable and often spoke of. All things of a perfect marketing campaign. 

Can we say the same about their new slogan? 

What Saskatchewan Farmers Need To Learn from Alberta (and Ontario)

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For anyone involved in Canadian agriculture, it’s pretty hard to miss the news of what is going on in Alberta with Bill 6 and the farmer uprising against it. Social and print media alike are on fire with farmer protests. If you are not up with what Bill 6 is all about, read more about it on Real Agriculture here, or how it directly effects Alberta farmers here on a post from Sarah Schultz of Nurse Loves Farmer (she does a much better job at explaining this than I could!) 

Last year saw similar farmer strife in Ontario surrounding their government Neonic insecticide ban. 
Those of us lucky enough to farm here in Saskatchewan are happily sitting back and rubbing our proverbially full tummies, proclaiming to the world how awesome we have it here.  I’ll admit it, I’ve sent my fair share of boastful tweets about how great farming in Saskatchewan is. 

  
But before we get too comfortable sitting back resting on our laurels, take a moment to rewind Alberta back 4 or so years. I am pretty darn sure they were in our spot then; pretty happy sitting back, looking at places like Ontario, with a “It can’t happen here, we have it great!” kinda attitude. 

After speaking with a handful of great farmers from both Alberta and Ontario, I have come up with a collection of advice that both they and I feel that the Saskatchewan agriculture industry needs to learn from their mistakes. 

1. Engage Our Politicians BEFORE we have a problem. Do you know what kind of constituents that politicians NEVER hear from? Happy ones!! They are so accustomed to only hearing from people with a beef, it must be increadibly wearing. These are the people driving policy that directly effects our business. This is who we need to connect with and forge relationships with long before there is a fire to be put out. Don’t just leave it up to our industry/commodity groups. It is up to each one of us to be the leader in this relationship. 

2. Never forget the power of consumer popular opinion. The driving force behind the Neonic ban in Ontario didn’t come from well meaning (but clueless) politicians. An outcry from urban consumers alarmed about the seemingly imminent “Beepocalypse” is what drove such unscientific policy. Ontario farmers have lamented that they did not move quickly enough to bridge the disconnect between viral social media hysteria in consumers, and what the real issues are on farms. 

3. Never underestimate the power of banding together. I think every farmer out there can see how difficult it can be to get a consensus (on any given subject) with a large group of other farmers. We can be judgemental of each other and can have a real hard time holding our tongues and opinions in. Of what has been happening in Alberta, I think there is one thing most Alta farmers can agree on. They are incredibly proud of the way they have banded together. Even the Hutterites, who the government offered to exempt from bill 6, have stuck by their fellow farmers and demanded that the government hear the farmers collective voice. Moving forward, whatever complex issues and problems are thrown at the Sask Ag industry this is a lesson we must remember. There is power in numbers and a united voice.  

Every election year brings new faces in power, whether there is a change in government or not. As we look to our own provincial election this spring, how comfortable are we with the outcome? How comfortable are we with the relationship we have with Canadian consumers? How skilled are we at supporting our fellow farmers? 

We are so very blessed to be lucky enough to be farming in Saskatchewan (and not just for the low land prices!). Are we ready to look outside of our neat, straight borders and see what the future could hold for us? Are we ready?