Alberta family documents their new life in the countryside

Feb 16, 2018

Ashley Berndt and her family moved from Leduc to Millet

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

An Alberta family is using online platforms to show their transition from life in the city to life in the countryside.

Ashley Berndt, her partner Shayne Kirkland and their blended family moved from the city of Leduc, Alta., with a population of more than 55,000, to the town of Millet, Alta., which has a population of about 2,000.

And the family notice differences between the two settings, they said.

“(We feel) calm, relaxed (and) happy,” Berndt told CTV yesterday.

“Safe. Like the world stops at the (farm) gate,” Kirkland added.

The family has developed an interest in homesteading over the last year and decided to share their journey online.

Berndt’s nine-video YouTube channel, City Girl Homestead, consists of videos about chopping wood, feeding horses and fire safety. The family also uses Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and a WordPress blog to engage with interested followers.

The idea transformed from a small project last year to a full-on family undertaking. And the children are eager to share their new skills with viewers and readers, Berndt said.

The kids are “learning so much and we’re doing it as a family and that’s kind of the most important thing,” she told CTV. “It’s bringing us together in such a way we never thought would happen.”

Some of the kids have also developed new skills.

Audrey, their oldest daughter, is keen on editing and mentioned pursuing a career in radio, Kirkland told CTV, adding the boys are learning how to use manual and power tools.

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.