Blog by krista

I recently attended a conference for Tourism Middlesex, where some visioning activities occurred as to what makes their County unique. Why would people what to visit. In speaking with many of the participants and business Owners there, they all have great components but there was no common thread th...

I might be unpopular for this post but it probably needs to be said.  I will preface this post by saying, I grew up on a farm (dairy and chicken) and I understand the idea of industrial farming as well as any other farmer. With the whole pig scandal perhaps farmers do need to look at their prac...

BEFORE As many of you probably don't notice anymore smoking in bars, entrances, and other places has mostly disappeared. All you have to do is go to Europe and you appreciate the smoke free environments we enjoy in Canada. However, this industry shift took a very hard toll on Tobacco farmers in Ont...

Don't worry I am not from Toronto, I don't pretend to be able to magically solve all your problems, but I understand your problems and hope to help you through any process related to your agritourism project. I recently attended a talk by Becky McKray about small town rural businesses. She said that...

I might be unpopular for this post but it probably needs to be said.  I will preface this post by saying, I grew up on a farm (dairy and chicken) and I understand the idea of industrial farming as well as any other farmer. With the whole pig scandal perhaps farmers do need to look at their prac...

Zoning is a great mystery to many people. Zoning is  document set out by the provincial government which each municipality adapts to suit their needs. A zoning by-law outlines the rules of what kind of activities can occur on various properties. It helps to control growth and city organization....

My Dad was born, raised, had children, and will probably die in the same house. So you can image that with all that living a traditional farmhouse needs some upgrading. I struggle with the idea of tearing it down, but I know there is a lot of effort that will need to go into a major renovation. I'm ...

Woven Lea Farm - the ideal sustainable farm proposal - VELD architect 2008 4 years ago my brother made a deal with his environmental professor at Ridgetown Agriculture college.  In exchange for guest lecture in her class about my thesis work, he was allowed to skip class to come to my architec...

I was recently introduced to a bit of Waterloo Region's history. Black Horse Corners, a once bustling small town with an Inn, tannery, fueling mill, pump shop, shingle mill, shoemaker and blacksmith shop, all of which are no longer present except for some remains of the old Inn which burnt down....

This week my region hosted the International Plowing Match in Roseville, a small rural intersection town I often cycle through during the summer. This year the Mennonite Disaster Relief organization hosted a barn raising demonstration for which I volunteered for many months ago. As the day drew ne...