At his farm in Picture Butte, Eric Leffers is experimenting with regeneration. In this blog post, Eric speaks to the complexities of regenerative practices, his experiments and learnings with polycultures and balancing all of this with sound economics.
From their farm near Penhold, the Hamill family is closing the loop from field to pint. At Red Shed Malting, they grow and malt their own barley, and supply craft breweries across the province — keeping the benefits local. We spoke to Matt Hamill about how they run their operation, the sustainable practices they’ve built into the farm and the malthouse and building community.
In the Paintearth county of Alberta, the Younger family are ranching with a regenerative mindset and a whole lot of care for the land. We spoke to them about ranching with the next generation, shifting to a regenerative mindset and the power of producer networks.
Near Castor, Alberta, fourth-generation farmer Dave Weber is raising yaks and experimenting with polycultures to build soil health, extend grazing and keep his operation resilient. Blending tradition with innovation, Dave is proving that even in challenging prairie conditions, there’s room to grow differently.
At Muddy Creek Ranch in Fairview, Alberta, rancher Garth Shaw is blending generations of farming tradition with new regenerative approaches to create a more resilient future for his land, livestock and family.
This blog explores how Garth’s shift to polycultures is transforming more than just his fields. From balancing winter feeding strategies to building community resilience, Garth’s story highlights the power of staying open to learning and leading with care—for the land, the animals and the people connected to both.
Since well before regenerative agriculture became a buzzword, Glen and Kelly Hall have been quietly practicing its principles. At Timber Ridge ranch, near Stavely, Alberta the Halls are blending time-honoured traditions of ranching with forward thinking practices that put soil, water and biodiversity at the centre of the story.
Ranching in today’s agricultural climate come with its challenges – rising costs, extreme weather and difficulties with expansion and succession to name a few. That’s why the Halls, in partnership with conservation organizations and impact investors have embraced a bold alternative – steward ownership.
We spoke to the Halls about this innovate model, which flips conventional farm financing on its head. We discussed putting the stewards (producers) at the centre, how they set up collaborative agreements and how this is helping them plan for a successful future at Timber Ridge.
It’s clear from this conversation that connections underpin the whole system – connection to the land, the animals and their community. Glen and Kelly are living proof that when innovative thinking meets a deep rooted care for the land, anything is possible.