Wheat and Woman

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This reprint of a 1914 autobiographical work is the engrossing account
of an Englishwoman’s experience as a farmer in Saskatchewan. The work
covers three years (1905–08) during which Binnie-Clark bought, lived
on, and farmed 320 acres of prairie. Her background as a journalist,
with no experience in physical work or farming, was not ideal
preparation for the challenge, and her lack of capital was an ongoing
drawback. Nonetheless her determination, incredible work ethic,
willingness to try any task that needed doing, sense of humour, and
strong management skills served her well. In addition to unpredictable
weather, winter storms, prairie fires, and the nearly insurmountable
curse of wild oats in the wheat that she dealt with, she also had to
face discriminatory homestead laws that gave free land to men but not to
women, and the reluctance of some labourers to work for a woman.

The memoir captures the life of the time and place—the seasonal grind
of the farm from seeding through threshing; the costs of farm labour and
the revenue generated by the grain crops; the animals, housing, socials
(dancing and tennis), tools, chores, and food; and reliance on
neighbours.

In structure, the work follows the seasons, reporting the flow of work
and challenges throughout the year. Quotes from the author’s own
diaries and dialogue with neighbours and hired hands provide variety and
texture to prose that is still readable nearly 100 years after it was
composed. The introduction to the 1979 reprint as well as the new
introduction to this current edition go a long way toward helping
today’s reader put Binnie-Clark’s experiences in context and
appreciate the scope of her challenges and accomplishments.