Articles

  • Advice to Design Grads

    Michelle Houlden is the owner and creative director of Maverick Studios, a Saskatoon-based branding and design company that partners with Burr Forest Group to provide expert design and strategic marketing services to its clients. Visit her at maverick-studios.ca. Dear Vanessa, Thank you for your recent email. You asked to meet with me to discuss potential…

  • Burr Forest Group Wins Three CFWF Awards

    Burr Forest Group Wins Three CFWF Awards

    [Winnipeg, MB, Oct. 1, 2025] – Burr Forest Group (BFG) is excited to share that it was honoured with three awards at the Canadian Farmer Writers’ Federation (CFWF) annual banquet held in Winnipeg, MB on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.  “These recognitions reinforce our role as extension and communications leaders—translating research into plain language, telling stories…

  • Why Agriculture Still Inspires Me

    Why Agriculture Still Inspires Me

    Growing up on a farm, agriculture has always been part of my foundation. I saw firsthand the mix of grit, resilience, and optimism it takes to feed the world. Even as a kid, I understood that agriculture wasn’t just a job—it was a way of life. That early passion led me to pursue a degree…

  • A Serendipitous Reunion, Fruitful Visit: Discovering Research in Nova Scotia’s Valley

    A Serendipitous Reunion, Fruitful Visit: Discovering Research in Nova Scotia’s Valley

    We arrived in Wolfville, N.S., as restaurants were about to close. We were hungy. Walking into the first pub still serving food, we noticed a sign that read, “Caleb Vallelly. Live in the Window. Every Thursday 7-10.” If the sign hadn’t included his picture, I might not have believed it. “Caleb Vallelly!” I exclaimed. Sitting…

  • Forest for the Trees: Thought Leadership at BFG

    Forest for the Trees: Thought Leadership at BFG

    Linking a long-dead Austrian philosopher to the agriculture industry was a thought I had the other day. Instead of letting it go, I wrote it out to see if the connection I was making had any legs. My editor/wife claimed it did. The piece on Wittgenstein, along with a much more substantial piece written by…

  • Wittgenstein and the Language of Agriculture

    Wittgenstein and the Language of Agriculture

    I got into golf in my late 30s. In my university days, golfers and golf courses represented exclusivity and excess. While I’m still cognizant of these traits, I am certainly not in a position to throw stones and many golfers and golf courses have since proven me wrong. Four years ago, I took a few…

  • How Could Agri-environmental Policies Evolve?

    How Could Agri-environmental Policies Evolve?

    What will future Canadian agri-environmental policies look like? The answer to this question depends, of course, on who you ask. There are many models on which future Canadian policy could be based. I’ve encountered a number of them in recent months, through conversations and travels as a Canadian Nuffield Scholar. Some focus on carbon emissions…

  • How Burr Forest Got its Name

    How Burr Forest Got its Name

    Burr Forest is a loose translation of the Lower German word Burlwalde. My family’s farm was settled in the late 1800s. It is nestled along the edge of what I grew up calling the Burwalde Woods. This, I would later learn, is a redundancy. A scholar and family friend casually mentioned to me one day…

  • Harvesting Expert Insights: Burr Forest Group’s Takeaways from Unveiling the Narrative

    Harvesting Expert Insights: Burr Forest Group’s Takeaways from Unveiling the Narrative

    Part of our jobs at Burr Forest Group is to learn. Learn about the work our clients are doing and learn about how we can help them share that work with farmers. While we already know a lot about how to share information, there are always ways we can improve.  Part of this learning is…

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