CAUTIOUS CARGO ↑ This way up ↑: From Lumsden to Glenboro to Goodwood. November

It was a good (re)start to Canada, those two farm work placements in BC; first the Hope eco retreat, then my favourite Grindrod's Green Croft Gardens, at the north end of the Okanagan Valley. Three more organic farms (and counting) were to follow. These work experiences, plus the books I've read and documentaries I've watched recently, have taught me the ugly truths of the global food industry, our Oceans of Plastic and general environmental sacrilege! I'm an easy convert to vegetarianism and see this as only half way. I'm now eco, plus, which sounds a bit like laundry detergent.

After a couple of hours drinking hot chocolate in a freeway-side bar, I left Grindrod below freezing at about 2am and travelled through the Rockies then 1,300 km by coach to Regina, Saskatchewan where Wesley picked me up. I stayed with Roman Catholics Lauren, her husband Wesley, and 15 year old home-schooled son Justin just outside Lumsden. And not forgetting their beautiful retriever Nuz who I walked the prairies with a couple of times, or rather he walked me the way, just like Roo in Grindrod. We preserved food, made beet pickle, took care of the laying hens, saw plenty of rabbits who occasionally got in with the chickens, baked cakes and breads, stacked wood and prepared the grounds for winter. A lamb was slaughtered and portioned by Justin. Deer and kyote. The first snow arrived while I was there. The pond froze over and ducks remained frozen in situ for the morning. One day I cut off Nuz's dreads and he started circling manically. Peeled lots of apples. Baked a beetroot and chocolate cake, with purple cake batter and the epitome of earthiness. That cake was actually a highlight of my time there, it was that good! Went to an organic convention/dinner one evening where I ate a bit of everything and Justin twanged - his singing accent not his guitar strings - his way through a couple of his own songs, he did well. One day a chicken died, I picked her up. After a short stint not burning on top of the barrel fire outside in the cold, she ended up at the tip. Later, I went with Justin a good distance from the house to dump for the kyotes the bright green-stained innards of the lamb. I later stumbled across its head, and later still its four ankles, in various buckets near the house.

After two weeks here it was time to move on to the family home of the Andersons, still on the cold winter plains of the prairies just outside Glenboro, Manitoba. Pam, John and their kids Lucy 3, Evan 6 and Anna 9, lived and home-schooled on their strawberry farm where I helped around the house, made bread, baked treats, made jams, soup, chutneys and pickles together with Pam. More apple peeling but this time for dehydrating, not freezing. A couple of days I covered what seemed like an eternity of strawberries with straw, well straw and snow, in -20*c. I really enjoyed working with Pam. We visited the local national park where the guide made us hot chocolate and marshmallows while we sat next to the fire in a wigwam. The family had recently adopted a retired group of a dozen chickens who would lay two or three eggs a day. Another chicken died whilst I was there but if it was anything like their last chicken fatality, it would receive a full burial ceremony and makeshift chicken coffin.

After a week or so, it was the 4am start, 40 hour journey east to Goodwood, Ontario, through one long, thick snowstorm which hid 40 hours' worth of Canadian scenery from view. On the map, we hugged Lake Superior. Experienced city life briefly when I changed in Toronto. I joined Len May at Goodwood Tree Farm, as well as his sister Marg and mother Maureen, who lived also on the tree farm but in a different house. This was another great time; I pruned, chopped, limed, labelled and mulched trees and drove around the farm in an old truck while Len did work for customers all over Goodwood and the surrounding towns. Made big Christmas decorations and plant boxes with the trimmings, red ribbon and baubles. Marg spoilt us rotten with colourful dinners and pudding every night. I also split a hella wood! With the wood splitter, split it, stacked it, brought it inside, stacked it s'more. 'S'more' is the name for a Canadian fireside snack of Jacobs crackers (different to ours), sandwiching chocolate and marshmallow, melted over the fire. Diabetes on a stick, made your lips stick to your gums but was..good? On my first day Len took me out cross-country skiing, loved it so much I split my trousers. Len had a cat and a wood fire. We drank two thirds of a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of red on my last night! Unbelievable. Len had harvested swede, potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic and there were boxes of each in the basement, so I stocked up his freezer with vegetable soup for the winter.