If you catch Glen and Kelly Hall on the phone these days, chances are they’ll be mid-feed or in the thick of calving season. That’s life on Timber Ridge Ranch—busy, beautiful and never boring.Ahead of the Curve—Embracing Regenerative Early On
Long before regenerative agriculture became mainstream, Glen and Kelly were quietly putting its principles into practice. They’ve always believed in working with nature, not against it, and their approach reflects that in every acre.
One of the cornerstones of their work is maintaining permanent, multi-species cover. Picture a mix of legumes, oats and the bright faces of sunflowers, rooted in healthy soil teeming with life. In fact, on the ranch they’ve identified over 150 different species of forbs—those leafy, flowering plants that play a big role in supporting pollinators and boosting biodiversity.
Of course, it’s not just what’s planted, but how it’s grazed. The Halls use a combination of rotational, adaptive and swath grazing, ensuring the land has time to rest and recover between cycles. It’s thoughtful, responsive and deeply tied to the rhythms of the land.
Water management is another big focus. Timber Ridge sits in Alberta’s so-called “banana belt,” where drought is no stranger. With natural water sources on the property, Glen and Kelly go to great lengths to keep them clean—both for their cattle and for the neighbours downstream. Through a mix of solar-powered pumps, off-site troughs and strategic fencing, they protect these precious sources and keep their animals hydrated and healthy.
“Our overall goal,” Glen says, “is to provide healthy food for our communities, while leaving the land better than we found it.”
Challenges—and the Will to Keep Going
Like many producers in southern Alberta, the Halls have weathered their fair share of storms—both literal and figurative. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), wildfire, drought and unpredictable market swings have all taken their toll over the years. But perhaps the most pressing challenge has been land acquisition.
With input costs and land prices steadily rising, expanding the ranch the traditional way was becoming less and less feasible. That’s what led Glen and Kelly to explore something different: steward ownership.
A New Way to Own—and Care for Land
Steward ownership flips the usual land ownership model on its head. Instead of centering around absentee investors or financial returns, it puts the people who are actually on the land—stewards like the Halls—at the heart of the equation.
Their journey began in 2009, after they received the Alberta Beef Producers Stewardship Award and attended the annual Western Canadian Beef Producers conference. There they met Sheldon Atwood, who introduced them to a new idea: what if land could be owned collaboratively, with conservation and community woven into the model?
That meeting sparked what would become a multi-year journey. In 2011, they signed their first co-tenancy agreement with the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA)—the first of its kind. It allowed them to protect an ecologically sensitive area of their ranch and keep the land intact. In 2020 that agreement was expanded with another piece of land acquired by the Halls and ACA from a like-minded neighbour.
Since then, they’ve worked with other friends and neighbours, the ACA and “impact” investment partner Sacha Investments to acquire additional parcels of land under the same model. Each project is held within a shared company, where the ACA is a co-tenant on ecologically significant land; Sacha provides capital to own a minority interest in the land that allows for the ability to pay down debt and further expand the property while the Halls retain a majority interest and run the ranching operation. The long-term goal? Gradually buy back Sacha’s shares and continue careful stewardship to their family, friends and neighbours for future generations.
Incubated Through Collaboration: The Role of the Regenerative Agriculture Lab
The steward ownership model that the Halls now operate under didn’t just emerge overnight—it was nurtured through years of conversation, experimentation and deep listening. Pioneered by Sheldon Atwood and colleagues over the last few decades, the model was further refined through their participation in the Rural Routes to Climate Solution’s Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL). As a social innovation lab, RAL brings together producers, researchers, food retailers and organizations from across Alberta to explore ways to grow Alberta’s regenerative agriculture system in a way that preserves its integrity while maximizing the positive social, environmental and economic impacts for communities.
Both Glen and Kelly, along with Sheldon Atwood, have been active participants in the Lab. Through a series of workshops, breakout groups, learning moments and group work, the Lab creates a space for people like the Halls to ask bold questions:
- What would it take to make regenerative agriculture not just viable, but enduring?
- How can we reimagine ownership in a way that supports producers, ecosystems and future generations—all at once?
As the steward ownership model has evolved it has built on the shared values of integrity, resilience and collaboration. It’s a prime example of what can happen when people with diverse perspectives come together with a common goal: advancing regenerative agriculture in Alberta, not just in principle, but in practice.
“The Lab gave us language, frameworks and—maybe most importantly—connections,” says Kelly. “We weren’t alone in this. We had a community of people exploring the same kinds of questions.”
What Steward Ownership Makes Possible
For the Halls, this model has done more than just secure land—it’s helped them expand their regenerative work, plan for succession and create space for their family to return.
“When we think about the future,” Kelly says, “we want to bring our family home and teach them what it means to be a regenerative person and producer.”
With one family member already making the move back, Glen and Kelly are hopeful. They’re eyeing nearby land for potential expansion, dreaming of repurposing old yard sites and even exploring ideas like hosting retreats, weddings or ecotourism. It’s all about stacking enterprises in a way that supports the land, their livelihoods and the next generation.
Lessons Learned—and shared
Pioneering isn’t without its headaches. Shifting mindsets, navigating legal paperwork and balancing day-to-day ranch work with governance isn’t easy. But Glen and Kelly see the growing pains as worth it.
“Sometimes, after a full day outside, the last thing you want is to dive into emails and legal docs,” Kelly laughs. “But then I think about my grandpa, who came here in 1904. I’m grateful for his pioneering spirit—now I understand what it really means to break new ground.”
Their advice to others considering the model? Start with your mindset. Stewardship doesn’t require 100% ownership—it requires 100% care. And partnerships with conservation organizations can unlock unexpected benefits, from rangeland assessments to biodiversity surveys.
Plus, it helps tackle one of agriculture’s biggest unsolved puzzles: succession.
Looking Ahead
Glen and Kelly aren’t slowing down anytime soon. They’re focused on continuing their regenerative work, repatriating land and helping build a future where agriculture and conservation are seen not as competing forces, but as allies.
At its heart, this story is about connection—to land, to community, to legacy. And Glen and Kelly’s journey shows that with the right tools, relationships and a little creative thinking, producers can build something that lasts well beyond their lifetime.
Curious about steward ownership? The Halls are always open to a conversation—and they’re living proof that when care for the land meets innovation, the possibilities are wide open.
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