Alberta to Saskatchewan

We left Three hills Alberta and were bound for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Everyone told us it would be a boring drive across the prairies of Canada, but for a pair of farmers from the UK who enjoy looking out across other peoples crops, (without being told to keep your eyes the road from other passengers!) it was great.

A reminder of my daughter Hannah!

 

 

As we drove across the prairies it is the sheer vastness and openness that was so striking, coming from England, with small twisting roads with hedges and small fields, interspersed with small villages and large towns, the contrast between the two countries is massive. They say a camera never lies, but it also can't do this landscape justice.

 

Every big town that we drove through there would be large machinery dealerships, dominated by John Deere and Case, with rows of tractors, combines and sprayers, old and new lined up ready to be sold. The temptation was to great and we had to get out and kick a few tyres!

 

 

 

After a few hours we reached the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, so we had to take some photos of the road signs, I am sure other motorists, there were a few, thought we were strange taking photos of signs.

 

 

Having crossed the border we headed to Saskatoon, to meet up with Garth Patterson and Gina Feist, from Western Grains Research Foundation, www.westerngrains.com at the University of Saskatoon. It is very impressive how much research into and teaching of agriculture is happening in Canada. It shows how important agriculture is to the Canadian economy, and that it is still seen as an industry that young people want to be involved with.  As it was friday afternoon, we conducted our meeting in the beer garden and had a great discussion on the current state of Canadian agriculture and how Western grains are facilitating agricultural research. Afternoon turn to early evening, and it was time to find our way to our host for that evening, Barb stefanyshyn-cote's house,but not before we had our picture taken with the band, Whiskey on a Sunday, that had been entertaining us.