A Family Legacy, A Shared Future
Garth’s connection to the land runs generations deep. His grandparents settled in the Peace Country after moving from Saskatchewan in the 1930s, and the Shaw family has been living and working among the rolling hills and fields of northern Alberta ever since. While Garth officially started farming in 1992, his roots in this landscape stretch much further back.
Today, he runs the ranch with help from his three children, each bringing their own strengths to the operation. “My oldest daughter has her commerce degree–she really enjoys the business end of things. My middle daughter’s a nurse, but she loves working with the livestock. And my youngest is in junior high, but he’s a born farmer,” Garth says proudly. “It feels pretty good knowing they’re all interested and involved.”
Putting The Cattle First
The Shaw family’s operation is centred around cattle, with calving season every May and yearlings grazed on pasture, supplemented by annual forage crops. The ranch is spread across three main land parcels in the Fairview area, with an additional property a few hours away near Fort St. John.
One of the standout features of Muddy Creek is how the cattle are handled. “Everywhere we go, we try to walk the cows. They’re really well trained to a hot wire, so moving them is pretty simple,” Garth explains. This low-stress approach to animal handling extends to daily interactions too. Garth checks in on his calves every day by walking them through the yard, observing their gait and posture with a trained eye and a deep sense of care.
Giving Polycultures A Go
As many do, Garth’s journey into regenerative ranching started with a bit of healthy scepticism–and a nudge from the next generation. “My daughter was working at our local Forage Association one summer, and she kept telling me about these multi-species blends,” he recalls. “At first, I thought it was ridiculous–it would never work here. But she was persistent, and eventually, I decided to give it a try.”
Garth first heard about the polyculture trials through his friend Paul Kernaleguen at Imperial Seeds, and soon after, he decided to take part in a trial plot of his own. The Alberta Polyculture Trails is a producer-driven, science-backed initiative helping crop producers across Alberta explore practical, profitable ways to improve soil health, enhance biodiversity and build climate resilience–starting right in their own fields.
Facilitated by the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), the trials are part of a broader effort to grow Alberta’s regenerative agriculture system. RAL brings together producers, researchers, food retailers and other key players in a social innovation process aimed at testing ideas, sharing knowledge and creating real, community-driven change with environmental, social and economic benefits.
That decision proved to be a turning point. The first year Garth planted a polyculture, the growth was so thick even the deer had trouble walking through it. The cows grazed there all winter, and for the first time, the Shaw’s didn’t have to put out a single bale until late March. Not only did this save money, but it also meant the manure went straight back into that land without hours of labour or machinery to move it there, nurturing the soil for seasons to come.
“Once you’ve seen the benefits of regenerative practices, you can’t unsee them,” Garth says. “I wouldn’t return to monocultures again.”
A Winter Grazing Balancing Act
In a region where winters are long and unforgiving, feeding strategies aren’t just important–they’re essential. Garth has developed a flexible system that blends stockpiled grazing and bale feeding to keep the herd on pasture for as long as possible.
The cattle graze stockpiled grass until December, after which the hay fields–cut following the first frost–carry them through January. This year, an “accidental” corn crop extended the grazing season even further, providing feed through February. It wasn’t until March that Garth began feeding bales–and even then, the cows stayed out on pasture. To protect the feed from elk, the bales are stacked and protected with panels. Every few days, Garth rolls out fresh bales for the herd, maintaining a system that keeps the animals moving and the manure evenly distributed across the field.
In Garth’s region, elk have become an ongoing challenge for agricultural producers. While Fish and Wildlife is working to manage the population, there’s an imbalance–bulls are often overhunted, while cow elk aren’t being harvested at the same rate. As a result, numbers continue to climb, creating added pressure on feed and fencing systems.
Resilience Built Through Community
While the physical benefits of working regeneratively–like improved soil health and increased forage productivity–are undeniable, Garth emphasizes another kind of resilience: community.
“One of the best parts of this whole regen-ag thing is the people we’ve met,” he says. “You end up connecting with folks across the province and beyond. Everyone’s so open about sharing what they’ve learned, what’s worked and what hasn’t. That’s made all the difference.”
Even in a community of top-notch conventional grain farmers, his polyculture plots have sparked interest. “Last fall, the weed inspector slammed on the brakes when she saw our place. I thought I was in trouble for a minute, but she just wanted to tell me how much she loved seeing the diversity in my fields.” That same field has become a launchpad for unexpected conversations with neighbours, some of whom have since started experimenting with cover crops themselves.
Farming: Not For The Faint Hearted
One of the biggest challenges Garth faces in ranching–and one many others can relate to–is finding people who are both willing and able to take on the hard work that comes with life on the land. That’s one reason he’s so grateful to be raising his family on the ranch. For Garth, the day-to-day challenges aren’t just obstacles–they’re opportunities to build resilience, character and a deeper appreciation for what really matters.
In Northern Alberta , the climate itself can be one of the toughest variables to manage–especially in winter. Freeze-thaw cycles create thick layers of ice that make full-season swath-grazing nearly impossible. To adapt, Garth uses a mixed-grazing strategy to ensure the herd stays fed, healthy and safe, no matter what the weather brings.
Pioneering Polycultures In A Conventional Community
Garth’s fields have sparked some exciting conversations with his neighbours– many of whom are predominantly wheat and canola producers. While their operations are largely conventional, most have been practicing no-till for decades, and there’s growing openness to regenerative practices, like keeping living roots in the soil. Just last year, Garth noticed particularly strong canola regrowth–a small but meaningful step in the regenerative direction.
He’s also attuned to some of the challenges facing local soils, including compaction layers and imbalanced pH levels. Looking out at the surrounding fields, Garth imagines a future where cover-crops are more widely adopted–breaking up those compacted layers, revitalizing the soil and helping build a more resilient agricultural landscape across the Peace Country.
The Shift Begins With A Conversation
For anyone curious about making the shift to regenerative practices like polycultures, Garth’s advice is simple: start with people.
“Go to grazing schools, attend webinars, talk to folks who’ve done it. You don’t need to figure it out alone,” he says. “More than anything, stay open to learning. The more people you know, the more resilient you are–because you’re not just relying on your own experience, you’re tapping into a community.”
In the quiet hills of Fairview, Garth is building something that goes beyond sustainability. His work is rooted in stewardship–of the land, the animals and the relationships that sustain both. And in that space between tradition and transformation, Muddy Creek Ranch is showing what’s possible when you lead with heart, curiosity and a willingness to try something new.
Interested in learning more or trying a polyculture trial? Garth’s happy to chat, and his gate is always open.
For more information about the Alberta Polyculture Trials visit our webpage.
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