Regenerative agriculture Archives - Page 2 of 3

Running somewhere around mile 60 of a 100-mile course in February in Texas. From mile 70 and beyond I was constantly reaching into my “bag of C’s” to find reasons to keep going.

‘Why’ as the deep, burning mantra to keep going

It’s not meant to be crazy, it’s meant to build resilience to overcome the “hard”

By Stuart Chutter June 19, 2023

To perform constantly and optimally in any passion — whether farming, running, or anything else — takes a deep understanding of the “why.” On the farm we often hear family, land and legacy as deep, value-based guides for “why” some choose life on a farm. For me, soil health and making an environmental contribution to […] Read more

Bringing cows home last fall marks the end of a season, and the opportunity to challenge my mindset and embrace new goals for next season.

Columns

Life as a regenerative ag producer is a mindset

And farmers and athletes have more in common than you’d think

By Stuart Chutter March 9, 2023

Hello, Grainews readers. My name is Stuart Chutter and I am a new addition to the columnists at Grainews. I am a Saskatchewan farmer and an agriculture junkie with a passion for risk management, soil health and fitness. Earlier this winter, I spent time with two of my favourite communities — the regenerative agriculture […] Read more

Dry alfalfa and straw bales are loaded into the Kuhn Side Slinger manure spreader, which doubles as a mixer wagon. The hay and straw will serve as biomass for the compost.

Features, News

Build your own bioreactor

Regenerative Ag: A farmer puts his homegrown biological fertilizer to work in his fields to improve soil health and crop quality and save on input costs

By Lee Hart January 31, 2023

Former Saskatchewan farmer Franck Groeneweg will be heading out to his Montana grain fields this spring to apply a biological fertilizer made on his farm. Over the past three growing seasons, it appears this liquid compost extract helps to maintain crop yields while making it possible for him to significantly reduce chemical fertilizer rates. It […] Read more

General, Potatoes

McCain acquires predictive crop technology

By GFM Network News June 29, 2022

McCain Foods Ltd. has purchased predictive crop intelligence technology from Resson, a ‘vision intelligence technology’ firm headquartered in Fredericton, N.B. McCain has been a long-time partner with Resson, working together for nine years to develop algorithms that forecast farm yields using remote sensing technology. The technology will enable producers to make more appropriate decisions through […] Read more

Signage outside McCain’s Farms of The Future site at Florenceville-Bristol, about 110 km northwest of Fredericton. (Photos courtesy McCain)

Crops, Pasture, Potatoes

Learning from McCain’s regenerative farming practices

Potato processing giant aims to 'de-risk' practices for growers

By GFM Network News June 24, 2022

In 2021 McCain said it was going to launch three regenerative potato farming operations by 2025 and would label them “Farms of the Future.” The first, just outside of Florenceville-Bristol, N.B., now offers data to reflect on the effectiveness of the practices at the potato farm after its first fully operational season. “If we don’t […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Walmart stakes big claim on Canadian sustainable beef

Retailer pledges to take over 680 tonnes in 2022

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News October 8, 2021

The Canadian arm of the world’s biggest retailer has put a number to its previous commitment to source certified-sustainable beef for its grocery business. Walmart Canada on Thursday announced it has committed to buy 1.5 million pounds of beef sourced from farms and ranches certified to Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) standards over the […] Read more

The cover crop of fall rye seeded late in 2018 appeared to have a lasting effect to help control weeds as Fensky seeded flax in the spring of 2019.

Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Regenerative agriculture beats high input costs

Alberta farmers apply a new mindset to crop production

By Lee Hart February 24, 2021

Shorty Fensky says it was largely a matter of farm economic survival as he forgets about the “Y” word and applies crop production practices that focus on profitability for their family run mixed-farming operation in central Alberta. Fensky, who along with his brother Cevin produce cattle and crops at Thorsby, about half an hour southwest […] Read more

Jerry Baerg out checking cattle as graze on chaff piles — all part of keeping nutrients on the field.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Cattle important to regenerative ag program

Producer finds that cattle and crops can complement each other

By Heather Smith Thomas February 17, 2021

Jerry Baerg farms grain and cattle in central Alberta near Linden. He grew up on the family farm and worked with his dad, then worked off farm for a while. On his return, he bought into the farm and began farming full time. While attending a soil health/grazing conference five years ago, he began thinking […] Read more

This full-season cover crop, which ended up being mostly oats and volunteer mustard, provided excellent summer pasture for cow-calf pairs under a strip grazing system.

Crops, Features

No such thing as failure, it’s all a learning experience

Plans are good in theory, but moisture is needed to really see what works

By Lee Hart February 2, 2021

When Josh Beck describes some of the practices he’s tried in a bid to incorporate regenerative agriculture practices on his southern Alberta farm, you’ll probably hear him say a few times, “Everything was looking really good early in the growing season … and then it turned dry.” Lack of growing season moisture is not only […] Read more

Anderson cattle graze in early winter an area of the stockpiled annual forage blend that wasn’t cut for swath grazing.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Improving pastures through regenerative agriculture

A low-input strategy is paying off for this central Alberta producer

By Heather Smith Thomas January 27, 2021

Brendon Anderson took over the family farm near Rimbey in central Alberta a few years back and is now focused on regenerative agriculture to improve soils and forage production. Ultimately he would like to get to a system of year-round grazing, but that may not be possible in some winters that deliver nearly four feet […] Read more

Media reports suggest U.S. dairy access to Canada a topic of conversation in Ottawa

U.S. livestock: Cattle choppy amid weak cash market, tight supply

China’s canola, soybeans imports to drop one million tonnes each

GFM Network News