Each time I return to the province of my birth, there are fewer reminders of what it used to be. There was a time when there were old farm houses and delapidated barns at every turn. Grain elevators dotted the horizon and now they are very few and far between. There used to be vast areas under cultivation or laying 'fallow' to rest the soil. Now, every field is growing something all the time. Modern farming practice is zero tillage where the land is in continual use with rotated crops to replenish the nutrients in the soil instead of a year or two of 'rest'. The new seeds are planted in the stubble of the previous crop and this prevents loss of moisture and almost totally elimates soil erosion from rain and wind. The old granaries and elevators have been replaced by steel bins and grain terminals that are very large and centrally located. It all looks like big agribusiness now instead of family farming. There is still wheat, oats, and barley but now the main crop seems to be canola (rape seed) with peas, lentils, and flax running close behind.
The black and white photos bring us a bit closer to the past.
Asquith, Saskatchewan
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