A visit to our farm in Nampa, Alberta was finally possible after two years of COVID, when travel to Canada was not allowed. The land has continued to be productive under the rental agreement with the Gach family. Last year, for a change, the 310 acres of the 430 acre parcel were planted in barley, mostly sold to make barley malt for beer. This visit in early June was earlier than most prior visits, when the Canola was either blooming or forming seed heads. This spring was cool and damp, so the planting was delayed in the wet fields. This year’s crop will be entirely Canola, and planting a few weeks ago now has young plants erupting in the planted rows. Young Canola belie their membership in the cabbage family. Wheat in the neighboring field is a bit further along, making beautiful rows in the brown soil. The international situation makes both crops an important Canadian contribution to global nutrition. The fresh air, puffy clouds. and wide-open spaces remind us of the beauty of this bountiful land settled 106 years ago.
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