42


Opening (and closing) doors


Following our unusually heavy dump of snow, I headed out for my regular walk this morning. It was, for us, bitterly


asphalt circles ahead of and behind me.


Wannabe Farmer LINDA WEGNER


cold. Clipping along, I marked the number of laps I’d completed by planting footprints on the side of the track while musing on the significance of January. Actually and symbolically, it is the beginning of another year. Change, both actual and symbolic, is inevitable and while some doors will close, new ones will open. I likened both those factors to the patterns frozen within the snow and ice that covered the


INCREASE CROP YIELDS


LASER LEVELLING LTD.


TRI-WAY FARMS


We service all of Southern BC


IMPROVED DRAINAGE


UNIFORM GERMINATION


UNIFORM IRRIGATION


FAST,


ACCURATE SURVEYING


CALL FOR AN ESTIMATE LARRY


604.209.5523 TROY


604.209.5524  


   


  


     


   


       


While it’s not possible to reference other peoples’ journey when the track is dry (or more frequently, sopping wet), a snow cover makes that easy to do. In fact, I could see that sometime the day before, shoes


without treads, shoes bottomed with various thread patterns and shoe sizes from large to small wound their way around the circle.


I thought of the increasing diversity of folks living in our isolated community. They’ve brought with them new ideas, new customs and to some, horror of horrors, new ways of doing things. Facing this New Year, wouldn’t it be wonderful if each of us gained a new appreciation for the distinctiveness of people instead of viewing their differences as reason for prejudice?


Strange as it may sound, I also gained a new


appreciation for me: my shoe print is unique and while I often forget, I have the privilege and responsibility of bringing something of value to my community. That insight


Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone, right, presented Turner Ranch owners Cody, Tamara, Harold and Shirley Turner with a Century Farm Award in November. BC MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE PHOTO


put a whole new purpose into my day’s activities.


As important, I found that I was using someone else’s footprints as an aid to counting the laps I’d walked. Normally it’s easy: each track is numbered, making counting the duration of my walk easy. With the current dump of snow, I had to rely on my instincts and the pathway of others to help me stay within boundaries. Instead of simply referring to painted signals, I found it necessary to come up


with a new way of noting my progress.


Adapting to new


circumstances isn’t always easy. Following yesterday’s march through snow and cold, I headed into town to attend a Chamber of Commerce board of directors strategy planning session. A two-hour discussion of how to best incorporate new and fresh perspectives while honouring and utilizing the wisdom of those who have trod the business path before us elicited as many perspectives as members attending.


We quickly recognized that moving forward meant that many traditional doors were or had to become closed in the face of changing economic conditions and an aging population. While valuing the steps of those who had gone before us, we now had new footprints to plant for the future.


Another example hits home as well. Within our community, what city officials thought was a solid and well-researched plan for an incubator farm project has been postponed or possibly shelved because several farm organizations neither supported nor endorsed the program. That door slammed shut. What lies ahead for our small but vibrant farming community? Let’s hope another door can be opened in the near future. For me, the privilege of writing this monthly column is an exercise both in looking back and looking ahead. I’m a writer, not a farmer, yet following in the footsteps of my Mom, I’m a gardener and grower of food.


As you look forward to 2017, may no door close without valuable lessons learned and may new doors of opportunity swing open wide in your world.


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JANUARY 2017


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48