Cobwebs in the market

The ever-insightful Helmut Pastrick, chief economist at the Credit Union Central of B.C., offered his insights on where the B.C. economy is heading in 2006 to the local chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties yesterday. Besides the market forecasts, I was introduced to cobweb cycle theory. Cobweb cycles are common in agriculture, where growers often increase production until greater supplies depress prices, the market corrects and the cycle starts over. Pastrick mentioned the concept in his analysis of the impact a lack of consensus about interest rate trends will have on demand for capital.

Earlier this week it was potatoes, next week it’s the offerings of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival tantalizing my palate. Working the festival’s various tasting events into a schedule jam-packed with deadlines is one of those feats I’m always game to accomplish. – Fortunately, while I’m off sipping, swirling and spitting, I can count on recent print and broadcast publications to let folks know I’m not slacking off completely.

This spud's for you

With last week’s agriculture meetings behind me, now comes the hard work of making sense of the information gathered. I’ll probably have a couple of dozen pages of copy in hand by the time the writing’s all done, with assignments for British Columbia and Ontario publications leading the queue.

Fortunately, last week’s meetings allowed me to stock up on six varieties of potatoes that promise to sustain me through the writing to come. I'm looking forward to mashing up pots of Bintje, Desiree and Russian Blue spuds from Bill Zylmans’ farm in Richmond, and trying out Eramosa, Rose Gold and Sunbury potatoes that crop consultant Heather Meberg brought to the Pacific Agriculture Show. Meberg acquired the seed for her three varieties from two New Brunswick growers I interviewed while working in Fredericton from 1996 to 1998, so I’m especially looking forward to tasting them. Curious? You can find out more about most of the varieties from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Or, you can drop me a note to hear how they cook up!

All agriculture, all week

A bout of flu at the end of last week gave me an excuse to rest up for the week ahead, which is packed with a bale of agricultural writing. The week begins with coverage of the Society for Range Management meeting in Vancouver, then the British Columbia Potato and Vegetable Growers’ Association meeting south of the city in Delta. The week winds up with the three-day Pacific Agriculture Show, an annual affair in Abbotsford. I’ll be covering these for a handful of farm publications, so if you’re interested in some copy yourself – just ask!

Recuperating from flu gave me time to catch up on reading. The latest issue of the Devil’s Artisan (no. 57) reached Vancouver last week, with an item regarding The Complaint Department of Toronto (lately lamented and now succeeded by Trip Print Press). Gotta like the proprietors' commitment to “disposable art that will stay out of the trash can.” Of a loftier nature was James Robertson, Voyage of Intent: Sonnets and Essays from the Scottish Parliament. Robertson's poems “Signage” and “The Voyage” (from which the book’s title comes) employ sincere wit (and humour) to provoke deeper thoughts about language and the work of political gatherings of all sorts, not just parliaments.

Emigre, farewell

The past few days have given me a chance to read the final issue of Emigre, the graphic design journal that achieved notoriety in the 1990s as a brash upstart among design magazines. Emigre offered a contemporary, practical perspective on issues in the realm of publishing that first caught my imagination during work towards a bibliography of Robert W. Service. I also appreciated Emigre's reminders that creative work should be about more than making money, about honest expression rather than just filling orders. I will miss its offerings, especially given the infrequent appearance of Canada's own unique printing arts journal, Devil’s Artisan.

Honeycrisp apples have been on my mind lately thanks to interviews with Nova Scotia fruit growers last week regarding that province’s orchard replant initiative. Though I enjoy the distinctive crunch a Honeycrisp has when you bite into it, the flavours packed by the ones here in British Columbia are often too subtle for my liking. The woman who sold me one at Granville Island over the weekend agreed, saying she prefers a Braeburn, Fuji or Pink Lady to a Honeycrisp. I look forward to trying a Nova Scotia Honeycrisp next time I'm in the Maritimes.

For those keeping track, the article I wrote a few weeks ago regarding the Loreto Bay development in Mexico is in this month’s issue of Western Investor. This week, I am tackling a variety of pieces regarding the marketing of real estate as well as a feature on remaking a home to incorporate a rental suite. To find out more, contact me!