News from our rich agriculture history

The Farms.com farm and rural history website is dedicated to celebrating and digitizing the last 150 years of success in the Canadian agriculture and food industry. The agriculture and food industries in Canada have a rich heritage of innovation, and have laid a foundation of excellence upon which we continue to grow. We celebrate Canada’s food and agriculture innovations on these pages.

Yes, Education is Expensive

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED | AUTUMN 1965 | JUNIOR FARMER AND 4-H QUARTERLY

The American humourist, Will Rogers, said: “The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.” This remark, made 40 years ago by a man with an ability to define in a light way some of the perplexing trends and facets of his society, is just as true today.

Of course, knowledge is relative. If the most highly educated man of a hundred years ago were to return to

This cartoon, appearing in the June 22, 1940 edition of the Canadian Countryman, was published on the cusp of one of the most decisive turning points in the early phase of

This is an example of an antique cast iron hand drill from an unknown time period. As with their modern, electrified counterparts, the human-powered hand drill was used to

Submit Article Idea

THE EIGHT-HOUR DAY

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED | APRIL 1, 1920 | THE FARMER'S ADVOCATE

The fact that the eight-hour day was dragged into the Peace Conference does not dress it up in any more attractive form to present to the Canadian electorate, and it is evident that our parliamentarians and legislators realize how ill-timed any eight-hour day legislation would be at present. In fact, none of them show any desire to risk burning their fingers by enacting an eight-hour day,

John G. Rayner

OCTOBER 1, 1890 – JUNE 30, 1952

John George Rayner was an agriculturist in Saskatchewan who was involved in various notable organizations. However, it was his work in rural education for which Rayner will always be best remembered. He was born on October 1, 1890, in London, England. His family emigrated to Canada when he was only two years old, settling in the farming community of Virden, Manitoba and adopting the life of Canadian farmers. He graduated from the Virden high school before attending the Manitoba College of Agriculture, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1913.

A year after graduating Rayner

Dr. Margaret Strang Savage

1901 - 1970

Born in 1901 in Huron County, Margaret Strang was the third woman to graduate from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in medicine in 1929. She was the only female to graduate from the university that year.

She completed her internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Upon collecting her degree Dr. Strang moved to Dixonville, Alberta to set up her medical practice. She was the only doctor in the area and in her own words she could travel as far as she liked in any direction and encounter no other doctors to compete with. She traveled an area of

This website uses tracking tools, including cookies. We use these technologies for a variety of reasons, including to recognize new and past website users, to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests.
You agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Access by clicking I agree.

News from our rich agriculture history

Yes, Education is Expensive

Immigration

Hand Drill

THE EIGHT-HOUR DAY

lives lived

John G. Rayner

Dr. Margaret Strang Savage