Cries of celebration filled the land when the new nation of South Sudan officially came into existence on July 9, 2011. Six years later, tears of joy have turned to sorrow as the country has been torn apart by fighting, suffering and now famine. After such a hopeful start, what went so horribly wrong.
Plastic is everywhere, from lifesaving medical devices to electronics, toys and bottled water. But so is the waste of plastic and there is growing concern about its potential impact on the health of people and our planet. Some believe we are reaching a tipping point as more and more plastic ends up in our
It all started because Faye wanted to eliminate white sugar in our diet. "I want to use honey instead, but it's pretty pricey," she mused. "Why don't we get a couple of hives?” I suggested in typical farmer nonchalance. That brief exchange set off a bunch of events. Now five years later with 320
It was 2010. The farm boy in me was captivated by a new idea— SPIN Farming (Small Plot INtensive Farming) – an urban agriculture technique that takes backyards and turns them into profitable vegetable gardens, to grow and sell produce locally, in the city. I grew up on a farm and knew about working
The basic premise of ecology is that everything is connected. The very definition of ecology embodies this truth: the word ecology comes from two parts –eco from the Greek oikos, for “household,” and logia, for “the study of.” Anyone who has grown up in a household understands that it is a complicated web of
The garden serves our needs. We serve the garden's needs, and in so doing, we mutually fulfill God's design (or economy) and show our love to God and His good gift. As an evangelical university graduate in 1979, my favorite album was Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming, and my favourite song was Man Gave Names
As soon as they can walk they spend time at the wharf and in the boat, stretching lines, painting buoys and helping seine the weir. They grow up, immersed in fishing as the way of life of their family, down through the generations. There are hundreds of small fishing communities in Atlantic Canada. I live in one of
There are hundreds of small fishing communities in Atlantic Canada. I live in one of them. Deer Island is a vibrant community of about 800 souls on the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy in Passamaquoddy Bay, an hour’s drive from Saint John. Some 32 years ago I arrived on Deer Island to do research for my PhD thesis in Sociology through the University of New Brunswick. My thesis – completed in 1987 – was called, Making It Pay: The Organization and Operation of the Deer Island Fishing Economy. I fell in love with the island, and with one of the local fishermen, and have lived here ever since (but that’s a story for another day!).
