Today Scott talks with John Cote who runs John Boy Farms near St. Agathe Manitoba. John shares about his experience growing vegetables for the local market and how and why he chose to focus on garlic. They also cover a few other topics such as soil health, cover crops and inputs.

In this episode, Scott interviews Cody Straza and Ian Cushon in a live panel format, recorded at the Organic Connections show in Saskatoon. Both are experienced organic farmers and they cover a wide variety of topics including species diversity, green manures, soil fertility, livestock and more.

Resources links

You can get involved as a Farmer For Climate Solutions by going to their website and clicking on the Take Action button

https://farmersforclimatesolutions.ca/

Find more information about the newly released policy report here:

https://farmersforclimatesolutions.ca/budget-2021-recommendation

Rural Routes to Climate Solutions

https://rr2cs.ca/

Manitoba Organic Alliance

https://manitobaorganicalliance.com/

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and Millview Farms.

Guest bio for Karen Ross

Karen Ross is the director of Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS), a national alliance of farmers and farmer supporters advancing climate solutions in Canadian agriculture. Karen has a PhD from Western University and comes to FCS with experience leading a national program advancing policies and communications on soil, greenhouse gases and agriculture at Equiterre, a policy advocate and researcher on sustainable food systems in Canada, as a former lecturer in social justice and international development, and a project manager on a federally funded project in central Africa. Karen manages a vegetable, fruit and flower farm with her partner, selling their produce directly to daycares and farmers markets.

Guest bio for Dr. Doug Cattani

Doug received his BSA and MSc. from the University of Manitoba (Plant Breeding) and his PhD. from Wageningen University, The Netherlands in Plant Production Ecology. He has worked with herbaceous perennial for over three decades with emphasis on breeding and seed production. His current position is as Perennial Crop Breeder in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba with the breeding of intermediate wheatgrass and perennial sunflower for grain production as the major focus.

If you're in Manitoba and interested in growing a small plot of perennial wheat on your land, you can contact him at: Doug.Cattani@umanitoba.ca

Resources

Learn more about the development of Kernza® and other perennial grasses from the Land Institute

https://landinstitute.org/our-work/perennial-crops/kernza/

You can watch the presentation right in the field here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBLq3pN51p8&t=1505s

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Resources

Our resource list this episode is directly from our guest Ward Middleton and includes the resources he has found helpful on his own farm.

 

For farmers who may be interested in integrating livestock that they do not own, like winter feeding someone else's cows and are concerned about cost effective ways to make that possible, here are some articles I used:  

Assessing Chaff Feed Value:  https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/production/beef/increasing-cow-calf-profitability-using-chaff-and-chaff-straw-feedstuffs.html

 

Value of using hay as a means of nutrient import as part of the "whole farm nutrient balance":  https://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef/3004/16638

 

The Practical Farmers of Iowa:  https://practicalfarmers.org/

Not necessarily organic, but another organization that puts the bests interests of farming and local community first.

https://practicalfarmers.org/2021/02/crop-livestock-integration-three-ideas/

 

Rodale Institute:  https://rodaleinstitute.org/

If you want to drill in, this is a page on their site that stirred me:  https://rodaleinstitute.org/why-organic/organic-basics/regenerative-organic-agriculture/

 

And lastly, the POGI Green Manure Manual: a plug for a resource that is near and dear to me, which i used to help assess the cost effectiveness (dollar wise and nutrient wise) whether it is better to graze off a green manure  / cover crop or to terminate it mechanically.  Here, it states (in 5.3.3) that losses can range between 5-16% when terminating a green manure.  And I have the fullest confidence in the people that put this manual together.  

https://www.pivotandgrow.com/resources/production/green-manures/module-3-managing-green-manures/#1467151887517-e674df54-5dbf

Guest bio for Ward Middleton

Ward and his wife Jo-Anne Middleton own and operate an organic farm in Sturgeon County Alberta.

In 1994, at his family’s invitation, Ward and his wife Jo-Anne took over the family farm by purchasing shares from his father and three siblings. After dabbling in various specialty crops, they chose organic production as the way forward. Today, Midmore Farms near Morinville, Alberta grows wheat, rye, oats, barley, flax, canola, peas, fava, alfalfa, sweet clover and some nutraceuticals (milk thistle and sea buckthorn). The couple also custom feed cattle and tend an 80-acre woodlot – a contribution to future generations that enhances biodiversity and is already a haven for wildlife.

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Resources

Find out more about the CARA soil health lab 

https://www.carasoilhealthlab.ca/

Want to get out on your field and do some measurements? 

The CARA soil health lab has some videos demonstrating water infiltration and using a soil penetrometer here:

https://www.carasoilhealthlab.ca/gallery-1

The NRCS also has great soil health and assessment resources.

Methods to do a water infiltration test:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_052494.pdf

And lots more tests to do for soil health assessment:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/health/assessment/

Dr Zavala and the farmers she works with in Alberta recommend getting a soil health mentor! 

If you’d like to join their WhatsApp group to talk about all things soil, email: shwhatsalb@gmail.com

 

Guest Bio

Dr. Yamily Zavala has extensive international experience in restoring soil fertility and improving cropping systems. Her work is supported by an education focused on agriculture and soils.  Her passion for understanding and improving the health of soils has positively impacted the local agricultural economies where she has worked.  In addition to applied research projects, she manages CARA’s Soil Health Lab in Eastern Alberta(CSHL).  The Lab focuses on the evaluation of physical and biological soil properties and allows producers the opportunity for hands-on evaluation of their soils.  

Resources links

Read about soil health research on organic farms conducted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation:

https://ofrf.org/research/reports/

Dig deeper into Soil Health on the National Resources Conservation Service’s website: 

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/soils/health/?cid=stelprdb1245890

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/

If you're near Quebec City and are interested in participating in Professor Kallenbach's research, she is always looking for additional good field sites, particularly with areas of waterlogging, for research with cover crops! 

Guest bio for Professor Cynthia Kallenbach

Cynthia Kallenbach joined McGill’s Department of Natural Resource Sciences as an Assistant Professor in 2018. Her research integrates soil ecology and biogeochemistry to understand soil organic matter turnover and accumulation and microbial-plant interactions affecting carbon and nutrient cycling under land use and global change. She received her BSc degree (Geography) from Sonoma State University, California. She earned two MSc at University of California-Davis in International Agriculture Development and in Soil Biogeochemistry, and her PhD from the University of New Hampshire in Earth and Environmental Science. Before coming to McGill, she was a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University.

Credits

Host: Scott Beaton

Narrator: Karen Klassen

Producer: Karen Klassen

Editor: Jason Peters

Podcast oversight committee: Anne Kirk, Jason Peters, Kim Wilton, Tierra Stokes, Marla Carlson, Deb Tuchelt

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Manitoba Organic Alliance.  

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Guest biosIris

Iris Vaisman is the Prairie Regional Coordinator for the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security and the Grains Program Manager at Organic Alberta. In these roles, she has the joy and privilege of partnering with farmers, researchers, industry, government and various stakeholders to work on diverse projects. The projects aim to contribute to the resilience of seed systems and organic grain production systems. Before taking on these roles, Iris worked at the University of Manitoba as a research technician, working on research that included participatory plant breeding, cover crops, organic no-till, and soil fertility. Iris has an M.Sc. from the University of Manitoba in organic agronomy and an Hon. B.Sc. from the University of Toronto in Ecology.

Ryan

Ryan Pengelly farms and seed cleans organic grains and native grasses near Erickson, Manitoba. Ryan is a second generation farmer having returned to the family farm in 2014.

Resources links

Interested in breeding your own seed or getting involved in the Participatory Plant Breeding Program? You can download some helpful tips and seed selection manuals here:

http://www.seedsecurity.ca/en/programs/create/field-crops

Find out more about the Participatory Plant Breeding program at the University of Manitoba here:

http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/naturalagriculture/ppb.html

The National Farmers Union has a campaign to support farmers’ right to seeds.

https://www.nfu.ca/campaigns/save-our-seed/

Developed in 2015 in partnership with COG, USC Canada, and The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, you can learn more about seed saving by taking a vegetable seed saving course for commercial production:

• Learn about producing organic seeds
• Learn about commercial seed production including harvesting, quality, marketing, and breeding seeds
• Build your own business following your own unique seed-farm business plan

https://www.cog.ca/ovsp/

If you have any burning seed savings questions for Ryan, you can contact him here: info@tamarackfarms.ca

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Additional sponsorship has been provided by the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. 

 

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Additional sponsorship has been provided by Secan.

SeCan is the largest supplier of certified seed to Canadian farmers with more than 600 independent seed business members from coast to coast engaged in seed production, processing and marketing. We are a private, not-for-profit, member corporation with the primary goal of accessing and promoting leading genetics.

https://www.secan.com/

Resources links

The Xerces Society has some great resources:

https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/north-central

Save the fireflies. Do you know what firefly larva can do for your crops?

https://xerces.org/endangered-species/fireflies

https://www.xerces.org/endangered-species/fireflies  

https://www.xerces.org/publications/guidelines/conserving-jewels-of-night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJqKStBOLHc

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiPLPJuySOgn6CbjkOxqLQ?reload=9  

Want to speak with Stephanie Frischie from the Xerces Society about starting a pollinator patch on your farm?

stephanie.frischie@xerces.org

Mobile: 219 208 5879

Want to ask Mike Killewald from the University of Manitoba a question about bugs?

killewam@myumanitoba.ca

Here are some of Mike’s recommended links:

Discoverlife.org and bugguide.net have some great identification and general resources, although their identification resources might be somewhat hard for the general public to use.

Decent guide for "what's that bug?" type identification because it's broken down by general insect shape. 

https://www.insectidentification.org/

The Manitoba Government website has lots of great resources:

https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/insects/

Specifically, the insect scouting guide can be downloaded for free here and has a lot of species-specific information on controlling pests of many crops grown in Manitoba. https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/guides-and-publications/index.html#fsg

Pollinators.msu.edu has lots of great resources about bees, including managing wildflowers for pollinators and creating a bee hotel. The bee hotels are an easy way to manage native bees in your backyard. Pdf can be downloaded here https://pollinators.msu.edu/resources/pollinator-planting/native-bee-habitat/

For Manitoba crop specific insect updates you can request to be part of John Gavloski’s email list: John.Gavloski@gov.mb.ca. He sends out the occasional insect reports during the growing season. 

There is also this resource if you don’t have it:

http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.852934/publication.html

Whitney Cranshaws’ Garden Insects book is a good one, but not really tailored toward agriculture. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/41619

Allison mentioned that you can find regional resources on Pollinator Partnership Canada.

https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/

Favourite books

These are available for sale through booksellers (not from Xerces). They are available as thank you gifts for becoming a member of Xerces. https://gifts.xerces.org/

https://www.xerces.org/publications/books/farming-with-native-beneficial-insects

https://xerces.org/publications/books/attracting-native-pollinators

Bees in your backyard by Wilson and Messinger Carril https://www.beesinyourbackyard.com/

Bumble bees of North America by Williams et al. are great resources for people wanting a physical book about bees. 

Guest bio for Stephanie Frischie

Based in northwest Indiana, Stephanie provides pollinator habitat expertise to farms in Canada and the U.S. She also works with the native seed industry and researchers to plan and develop seed supply of important plant species for restoration of insect habitat. Before joining Xerces, Stephanie conducted research on the potential of native cover crops in Spanish olive orchards at Semillas Silvestres, S.L. through the Native Seed Science, Technology and Conservation (NASSTEC) grant. Previously, she was the plant materials and conservation programs manager for eleven years at the Nature Conservancy’s Kankakee Sands restoration project in northwest Indiana. Stephanie volunteers as a rare plant monitor with Plants of Concern and is the secretary of the International Network for Seed-based Restoration. Her master's of science is from Northwestern University/Chicago Botanic Garden’s Conservation Land Management Program and she holds a bachelor's of science in international agronomy from Purdue University.

Guest Bio for Allison Squires

Allison was born in St. John’s, NFLD and grew up primarily in Southern Ontario. After completing her BSc in Environmental Toxicology at the University of Guelph (Guelph, ON) she moved to Saskatoon, SK to complete first her MSc and then Ph.D. in Toxicology at the University of Saskatchewan. Like Cody, Allison is very interested in promoting the organic industry, especially through on-farm research. Allison supports involving organic producers at the individual farm level and believes that it will contribute to the overall applicability of organic research. As such both her and Cody have implemented several on-farm research projects at Upland Organics. Allison enjoys managing the research programs for Upland Organics and is always looking for new opportunities to collaborate with research scientists, agriculture industry professionals, and other organic producers. Allison serves the national organic community as a director on the Canadian Organic Growers board and in 2020 was also elected to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) North America board of Directors.

Keep learning about pollinators at these events/webinars:

• SaskOrganics: June 26 - The Bee's Knees: Supporting Wild Bee Diversity on Farms Webinar (Allison is a speaker for this webinar)
• SaskOrganics: July 10 - Nurturing Nature: Fostering Biodiversity on Farms Webinar (Stephanie is a speaker for this webinar)
• The Organic Center: July 11 - Biodiversity and Profitability on Organic Farms

We recorded today’s episode in March at the 2020 Prairie Organics Conference in Brandon Manitoba. 

Scott gets into the weeds with Sam Hitchcock Tilton as they discuss ways to control weeds at all stages of their life cycle throughout the growing season.

Sponsor

Thanks to Regen Ag Solutions for helping to sponsor this episode. If you’re thinking about trying out some of the machines Sam and Scott were talking about, check out their website at https://regenagsolutions.ca/ or give them a call on 1-204-999-1232.

Their farming solutions aim to help farmers achieve balance and synergy between plants and soil. They provide their clients with the best products to develop soil nutrition, increase yields and promote long-term sustainability.

https://regenagsolutions.ca/

https://twitter.com/RegenAgSolutio1

Resources

Dalhousie University has put together some great resources from harrowing to robotic weed control to help you decide what will work best for your farm.

https://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/oacc/en-home/resources/pest-management/weed-management/mechanical-control.html

Manitoba Agriculture has also summarized some of the issues with weed control in organic cropping systems here: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/weeds/weed-management-in-organic-crop-systems.html

And don’t forget to check out the resources on Pivot and Grow!

https://www.pivotandgrow.com/resources/production/managing-weeds/

Guest bio for Sam Sam Hitchcock Tilton

Sam Hitchcock Tilton is a Horticulture Instructor at Lakeshore Technical College, just North of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He has a background in vegetable farming and earned a Master’s degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University, where he studied and conducted research on precision weeding tools. Sam was the Midwest Sales Representative for KULT-Kress precision cultivation tools. For this work he designed weeding machines for all types of crops, developed new tools, and traveled through Europe and the US visiting farms. He writes for Vegetable Grower’s News and Growing for Market, and is the organizer of the annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day – the nation’s premier event for weeding tool demonstrations.

Our host, Scott Beaton, chats with Kevin Elmy from Cover Crops Canada about …..wait for it….cover crops. 

They talk about why we should all be growing them in the first place and then get into some of the nitty gritty details about some timing issues, how to plan a cover crop mix and how cover crops actually work to improve your soil aggregates and water infiltration.

Thanks to Imperial Seed for helping to sponsor this episode. If you’re thinking about growing a cover crop this year, check out their website at https://imperialseed.com/ or call one of their experts for some help in deciding what would work best for you!

Sponsor

Imperial Seed Ltd. is an accredited seed processing facility focused on the multiplication and processing of proprietary forage and turf seed. Seed production is facilitated through a network of seed growers throughout Western Canada. Growers have at their disposal almost 60 years of cumulative field experience with our staff. This provides both new and experienced growers with an extensive resource related to their seed production.

https://imperialseed.com/

https://twitter.com/ImperialSeed

Guest bio for Kevin Elmy

I was raised on a seed farm near Saltcoats, SK. I moved back in 1999 after various jobs after convocation from the University of Saskatchewan. The land I bought was baled and burned for 50 years so needed reviving. So we changed our management to included forages, corn grazing, winter cereals, reduced tillage, and the use of cover crops. We got to where we have not added synthetic nitrogen for 13 years, reduced our use of herbicides, eliminated seed treatments, fungicides and insecticides, and now eliminated the rest of our synthetic fertilizer applications. Our soil are now alive.

Resources

Check out Kevin’s cover crop assessment sheet and more info about cover crops at

https://covercrops.ca/

And https://imperialseed.com/

Haven’t filled out Callum’s survey in 2019 yet? 

Click here to fill it out. 

Or follow him on Twitter @CallumMorrisons  and he’ll let you know when to fill out his 2020 survey.

MOA also hosted a cover cropping workshop last November and the videos are available on our website https://manitobaorganicalliance.com/article/nov-13-brandon-mb-getting-the-most-out-of-every-acre-through-cover-cropping/ or go straight to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZg0amo8jn6M6b7O38ZvriznADlDmT9Mm

Still wanting to read more?

http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/naturalagriculture/covercrops.html

https://www.pivotandgrow.com/resources/production/cover-crops/

Favourite read (book)

Kevin’s Top Book Pick

“When Weeds Talk”

https://www.acresusa.com/products/weeds-and-why-they-grow

 

Host: Scott Beaton

Guests: Kevin Elmy & Callum Morrison

Narrator: Karen Klassen

Producer: Karen Klassen

Editor: Karen Klassen

Consultant: Anne Kirk

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Manitoba Organic Alliance. 

Join our host Scott Beaton in conversation with Transitioning organic grain farmer, Alex Boersch from Elie, MB, interviews Alan McKenzie, an experienced organic grain farmer from Nesbitt, MB. . With host Scott Beaton, they discusses strategies, perceptions, challenges, and opportunities of transitioning into organic grain. Hear their perspective on rotations, managing weeds, markets, paperwork and more.

Bio: Alex Boersch has a bachelor and Masters in Agri-Business and science from INP Purpan (University in Touluse, France). He has worked for two years in Toronto for DG Global Inc as a grain trader and moved back to the farm July of 2017. The farm was founded in 1988 by his father Andreas Boersch, who emigrated from Cologne, Germany. They farm 5000 acres and are transitioning 500 acres of land into organic.

Alan McKenzie farms in Nesbitt, MB on a 4000 acre mixed cattle and grain organic farm. Alan began transitioning his farm to organic production in 2002 and since 2011 his whole farm including his cattle operation are certified organic. Alan works for diversity on his farm, growing a variety of grain crops including inter-crops, hemp and other cereals. His cattle are used to graze cover crops on the farm.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Pivot and Grow Transitioning Starter Kit
• Transitioning resources on Pivot and Grow
• 1-800 Ask an Expert: Call 1-800-245-8341

Credits:

Host: Scott Beaton

Producers: Dana Penrice, Iris Vaisman, Cari Hartt, and Tierra Stokes

Grain on the Brain is a podcast of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative

Resources links

Rodale Institute has some excellent information around composting as well

https://rodaleinstitute.org/why-organic/organic-farming-practices/composting/

Join our host Scott Beaton in conversation with Brenda Frick, organic expert on weeds in organic cropping , to talk about practical and helpful tips for managing weeds in organic cropping. With host Scott Beaton, she discusses how to prevent and manage those tough weeds like Canada Thistle and Bind Weed. Learn understanding weed cycles and what practices farmers use to reduce them.

Bio: Brenda Frick is a partner in Resilient Solutions Consulting. Brenda has a wealth of experience in organic research extension having authored many resources for organics along with an expertise in managing weeds in organic cropping systems. She shares this as an instructor of an online organic weeds class through the University of Saskatchewan Brenda is also one of the experts behind Pivot and Grow's 1-800 'Ask an Expert'. Call her with your questions about organics.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Living with Weeds fact sheet
• Weed Management resources on Pivot and Grow
• Cultural Practices fact sheet
• 1-800 Ask an Expert: Call 1-800-245-8341

Credits:

Host: Scott Beaton

Producers: Dana Penrice, Iris Vaisman, Cari Hartt, and Tierra Stokes

Grain on the Brain is a podcast of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative

Join our host Scott Beaton in conversation with organic grain expert Joanne Thiessen Martens to talk about taking soil samples and plant tissue samples. Learn when to take sample, how to take the sample, where to send your samples and how to interpret the results. Sampling and testing can help you understand what's happening on your farm and make management decisions or interventions if required. In organic systems, mainstream soil tests might not capture everything that you need to know to make management decisions and by adding plant tissue samples it can give you a better picture of what's happening in your fields.

Bio: Joanne Thiessen Martens grew up on a small mixed farm at Austin, Manitoba. She earned a B. Sc. In Agroecology at the University of Manitoba in 1999 and has since been working in the area of sustainable and ecological agriculture. For much of this time, Joanne has been a part of Dr. Martin Entz’s research team in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba. Her recent areas of focus include cover cropping, integrated crop-livestock systems, and farming systems design.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Green manure tool kit
• Crop rotation fact sheet
• Soil fertility resources on Pivot and Grow

Credits:

Host: Scott Beaton

Producers: Dana Penrice, Iris Vaisman, Cari Hartt, and Tierra Stokes

Grain on the Brain is a podcast of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative

Join our host Scott Beaton in conversation with Organic grain farmer Ian Cushon and organic buyer Scott Shiels to learn about the opportunities and challenges that come along with marketing organic grain. Organic farmers can take advantage by paying attention to what's happening in the market place and planning crops accordingly . The organic industry is a smaller community and everyone wants to help each other so learn the network and learn to ask questions. Learn what might be a good crop to start with and how to approach speciality markets. Hear about the importance of maintaining grain quality on the farm. Hear about contract considerations straight from the farmer's perspective.

Guest Bios:

Ian Cushon has farmed organically for 30 years producing a wide variety of field crops including row cropping organic sunflowers in the 1990s to soybeans in 2016. Ian has used mechanical weed control including rod weeders, tine harrows, tine weeders and rotary hoes. Mechanical weed control is an important option in some crops, but strong crop rotations and cultural weed management are the foundation of productive organic crops on the prairies. Ian and wife Jo-Anne, operate Moose Creek Organic Farm near Oxbow, in Southeast Saskatchewan. They have two children Liam 16 and Anna 14.

Scott Shiels works with Grain Millers as the Procurement Manager and has experience as a grain buyer handling the procurement of grains into the mill in Yorkton. He works with the US procurement team on other commodities that they source from Canada.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Pivot and Grow Business 2 Business Directory
• Grain Quality Fact Sheet
• Transition Starter Kit

Credits:

Host: Scott Beaton
| Producers: Dana Penrice, Iris Vaisman, Cari Hartt, and Tierra Stokes

Grain on the Brain is a podcast of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative

Join our host Scott Beaton in conversation with Katherine Stanley to talk about strategies for designing organic crop rotations that build soil fertility, manage weeds and prevent disease and pests. Learn about planning green manures that will set you up for a successful cash crop. Scott and Katherine discuss applying manure, integrating livestock grazing and options including perennials in your rotation.

Bio: Katherine Stanley is a Research Associate at the University of Manitoba's Natural Systems Agriculture. She has a MSc. in plant science from the University of Saskatchewan and a B.Sc. in Agroecology from the University of Manitoba. Her research focuses largely on organic agronomy and weed management and extension work has allowed her to work with agronomists and organic farmers across the prairies.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Crop rotation fact sheet
• Crop Rotation resources on Pivot and Grow
• Green manure tool kit

Credits:

Host: Scott Beaton

Producers: Dana Penrice, Iris Vaisman, Cari Hartt, and Tierra Stokes

Grain on the Brain is a podcast of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative

Resources links

One fantastic way to build soil health and improve the water infiltration capacity of your soil is to integrate livestock onto your land.  For grain farmers who don’t own livestock, MOA and MFGA have built a website to help facilitate partnerships between grain and livestock farmers. It’s a great way to terminate and reincorporate your green manure and build your soil biology. FInd out more here: https://manitobagrazingexchange.com/

The panel mentioned Mark Shepard’s keyline permaculture design, so we thought we’d include a link to a presentation he made last year at Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c8302QJk5k

If you’re in Manitoba, you can out more about the programs and support offered by the Watershed Districts and find out who your local district is here: https://manitobawatersheds.org/

In Canada, other groups providing watershed and soil health support include Ducks Unlimited https://www.ducks.ca/ , and ALUS https://alus.ca/. 

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by the Canadian government through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Prairie Organic Development Fund and the Conservation Trust. MOA is also thankful for its gold sponsors, Millview Farms, La Milanaise, SeCan, Kroeker Farms and XiteBio. If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganicalliance.com.

Guest bio Ryan Canart

Producer and Manager, Assiniboine West Watershed

Ryan Canart received a degree in Natural Resource Management at Thompson Rivers University in 2002 but began his love of working with the land in 2000 when his family purchased their property near Hargrave Manitoba. Ryan has a passion for regenerative land management, which started with a keen interest in agroforestry. He applies that passion by managing his grass-backgrounding ranch with AMP grazing, planting trees, growing food, and taking advantage of the many opportunities rural living provides. Ryan has been involved with the watershed district program since 2003. Currently he is the General Manager of the Assiniboine West Watershed. He has also been involved with organizations over the years including the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, the Prairie Improvement Network, and the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative.

Henry Wilson

Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Brandon

Henry Wilson has been a Research Scientist with AAFC in Brandon, Manitoba since 2011. He conducts research on the hydrology, nutrient cycling, and stream ecology of agricultural systems. His current research is focused on developing knowledge to reduce eutrophication and flooding problems in agricultural watersheds, design of more sustainable and resilient production systems, and understanding potential environmental benefits and trade-offs associated with agricultural management changes. He earned his Ph.D. from the Watershed Ecosystems program at Trent University, in Ontario and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship through the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, USA before becoming a Research Scientist with AAFC.

Resources links

You can contact Neal Wagar, Manitoba Technical Sales Rep via email neal@overtonee.ca or  phone (204-218-2221) for any questions about Ecotea.

Recent study results have been uploaded to our website as well in the Resources section: https://manitobaorganicalliance.com/podcasts/season-3-episode-6-biologicals/

http://www.eco-tea.ca/

https://youtu.be/sIsfmR7NK1Y

https://youtu.be/KZzACqUuSYk

www.overtonenvironmental.ca

www.ecotea.ca

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was sponsored by Overton Environmental Enterprises and funded in part by the Canadian government through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Prairie Organic Development Fund. MOA is also thankful for its gold sponsors, Millview Farms, La Milanaise, SeCan, Kroeker Farms and XiteBio. If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganicalliance.com.

Guest bio 

Dale Overton

I am a highly motivated and hard working individual interested in applied ecology and sustainable landscape management. My goal is to work with industry partners to create realistic and economical solutions to complex ecological problems. I am also interested in developing, manufacturing and marketing various biological soil amendments and organic fertility products (Eco-Tea and Essential Organics). I am also involved in waste reduction and transformation projects using advanced composting techniques. Currently, I am involved in many innovative research projects both in Canada and Internationally, which focus on organics waste management, sustainable agri-systems, soil ecology and revegetation.

My family and I live on a 97 acre farm in the boreal-parkland transition ecoregion. My wife and I share a beautiful daughter and son. We have dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and chickens all raised as holistically and sustainably as possible.

Resources links

Curtis mentioned Manitoba Agriculture’s Soil Management Guide as a great resource in learning more about soils in general and how to manage them:

https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/environment/soil-management/soil-management-guide/

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by the Canadian government through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Prairie Organic Development Fund and the Conservation Trust. MOA is also thankful for its gold sponsors, Millview Farms, La Milanaise, SeCan, Kroeker Farms and XiteBio. If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganicalliance.com.

Guest bio 

Curtis Cavers

Curtis is the site supervisor for the AAFC-Portage la Prairie sub-station which is part of the Brandon Research and Development Centre.  Curtis has a focus in agronomy and soil science, specifically in the areas of nutrient management, soil health, tillage, water management, precision agriculture and general crop production.

You can contact Curtis at: curtis.cavers@agr.gc.ca  or reach him by phone: 204-871-7346

Our guest host for this episode was Allison Squires. You can find out more about Allison and her farm, Upland Organics at https://uplandorganics.ca/.

Book recommendation

Dale & Carter: “Topsoil and civilization”

https://www.worldcat.org/title/topsoil-and-civilization/oclc/924435

Resources links

Check out the Rodale Institute resources, webinars and courses

https://rodaleinstitute.org/why-organic/organic-basics/

Education Course

https://rodaleinstitute.org/education/

https://courses.rodaleinstitute.org/p/rodale-institute-transition-to-organic

Contact Nic for more information about accessing consultant services and takin the 

Education courses: nic.podoll@rodaleinstitute.org 

+1(218)789-1044 (based in Minnesota)

Get some financial support during your transition to organics through The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) “Support Organic Change Fund”.

https://www.canada-organic.ca/en/what-we-do/market-access/organic-conversion-support-program

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by the Canadian government through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Prairie Organic Development Fund and the Conservation Trust. MOA is also thankful for its gold sponsors, Millview Farms, La Milanaise, SeCan, Kroeker Farms and XiteBio. If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganicalliance.com.

Guest bio Nicholas Podoll

Midwest Organic Consultant

Nic is a lifelong organic farmer, having grown up and farmed with his family on their certified organic farm in southeast North Dakota, raising small grains and vegetable seed. Prior to working at Rodale Institute, he worked in Extension for the University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University. He also served several years on the NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Review Committee. Nic is IOIA certified in crops and holds a Master’s in Agricultural & Extension Education from North Carolina State University. He is located in north-central Minnesota.

Resources links

The WADO annual report with its 2020 results can be found here:

https://mbdiversificationcentres.ca/westman-agricultural-diversification-organization/

You can also use their search tool to find the results from all the trials they’ve conducted over the past decade.

Southeast research farm in Redvers SK also does lots of intercropping research:

https://southeastresearchfarm.org/

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the Prairie Organic Development Fund as well as our sponsors. We produced this episode in partnership with the Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization or WADO to focus on intercropping. WADO is an applied crop research group in Melita Manitoba with a producer board of directors, whose operating funding is provided by the Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP) and Agriculture Sustainability Initiative (ASI). Scott Chalmers is a provincial employee who manages the activities and research.  Each year they publish an annual report, which can be found on the Manitoba Diversification Centre's website: 

https://mbdiversificationcentres.ca/

You can find their new 2020 report & results and information about their annual field days usually held in July.  They usually have 40-50 research projects, covering 2500 plots just at WADO and do lots of work over the years with intercrops, relay crops.   They collaborate with commodity groups, AAFC, Universities, corporations, strategic funding initiatives, and private entities.

Guest bio for Scott Chalmers

Scott grew up on a small mixed farm operation near Carroll, MB. Scott completed his B.Sc. (Honours) degree at Brandon University in botany and chemistry in 2004. Scott worked at AAFC in Brandon, MB as a summer student with the plant pathology team headed by Dr. Debbie McLaren. Scott also managed the non-profit South East Research Farm, located near Redvers, SK, for three years until spring of 2007. Scott started working with Manitoba Agriculture as a Diversification Technician out of the Melita-Ag office 2007 conducting applied crop research and demonstrations at Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO). Scott then moved into the Diversification Specialist position in 2014 and continues to manage the WADO research program. Scott resides in Reston with his wife Tanis and two kids. Scott takes an interest in homebrewing, and intensive no till gardening.

The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security supports a national Participatory Plant Breeding Program - PPB - with the University of Manitoba that puts farmers in the driver's seat to select varieties that are adaptive to their organic growing conditions, and their climates. To find out more about this innovative work, please visit www.seedsecurity.ca

You can also learn more about the PPB program on the University of Manitoba’s Natural Systems Agriculture page:

https://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/naturalagriculture/ppb.html

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, sponsorships and partnerships. This episode was funded in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the Prairie Organic Development Fund, as well as through our sponsors. In this episode we’re collaborating with The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, a program of SeedChange. Climate-resilient agriculture in Canada requires that farmers are engaged in every aspect of food production, and that includes plant breeding. Since 2013, The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security has been supporting a national Participatory Plant Breeding Program - PPB - with the University of Manitoba that puts farmers in the driver's seat to select varieties that are adaptive to their organic growing conditions, and their climates. To find out more about this innovative work, please visit www.seedsecurity.ca

Guest bio for Iain Storosko

Iain is currently doing a Masters of Geography at Carleton University, focusing his thesis in areas of agricultural geography and agricultural development. He comes from a background in environmental science and through his undergrad was strongly swayed towards the areas of sustainable agricultural production, food security, and food sovereignty. He has worked as well in seed breeding and plot research in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec. His current research focuses on farmer-researcher participatory programs for crop development. His research is supported through a MITACS internship with the organization SeedChange to review their Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) program, funding provided by the Organic Farming Research Foundation.  Outside of school he enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, playing music, and experimenting with his own small organic growing. 

Guest bio for Aabir Dey

Aabir developed his passion for seeds while he was completing his Sustainable Farming Certificate at Everdale, a teaching farm in Hillsburgh, Ontario, and supporting research trials for Seeds of Diversity's collection of over 3,000 different Canadian seed varieties. After completing a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, researching organic seed systems in Ontario, Aabir joined the The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, as Regional Program Coordinator for Ontario. Aabir has co-authored publications on Canada’s seed system including the Canadian Organic Seed Sector Environmental Scan, the Discussion Paper on Seed Policy in Canada, and Canadian Organic and Ecological Plant Breeding Priorities for Vegetable Crops. He has been instrumental in shaping and leading the training, research, and policy programs developed for The Bauta Family Seed Initiative. Aabir loves working in the field with seed producers and farmers all over Canada, and is thrilled to continue to steward The Bauta Family Seed Initiative at a national level into the future. Aabir works remotely from Guelph, Ontario.

Resources links

Check out Dr. Kris Nichols’ website to learn more about her work and soil health resources:

https://kris-systems.com/

She has a method in her Resources section for COLLECTING SOIL AGGREGATES AND MEASURING AGGREGATE STABILITY

https://www.cog.ca/every-day-should-be-world-soil-day/

For more about the Canadian Organic Growers “Canadian Access Project”:

https://www.cog.ca/the-canadian-access-project/

The Canadian Organic Growers are looking for participants in the Canadian Access Project

We are looking for organic pea, oat, beef, carrot, and blueberry producers who would like to discuss supply chain barriers for these commodities. Also, we are looking for participants from these five supply chains as well as other organic producers who are interested in assessing the impacts of organic production on ecosystem services particularly carbon sequestration.

Participants will form a producer committee, which will meet virtually about 3-4 times in 2021 and participate in an interview and 2-3 virtual meetings summarizing the data collected from the interviews through March 2022. If desired, producers could just participate in the interviews and follow-up meetings. We are targeting producers that have 1 or more soil tests including organic matter or organic carbon values and are willing to share their anonymized data for analysis and modeling.

https://www.cog.ca/the-canadian-access-project/ and https://www.realagriculture.com/2020/09/canadian-organic-growers-project-seeks-to-build-made-in-canada-supply-chains/

If you are interested or want me information about the project, contact Kris Nichols at kris.nichols@cog.ca .

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the Prairie Organic Development Fund, as well as through our sponsors; Millview Farms and XiteBio - a dynamic biotechnology company engaged in microbial technology and agri-inputs. You can learn more about their products at xitebio.ca

Guest bio 

Dr. Kris Nichols is a leader in the movement to regenerate soils for healthy crops, food, people and the planet. She is the Research Director at MyLand Company LLC in Phoenix, AZ. She is also the founder and principal scientist of KRIS (Knowledge for Regeneration and Innovation in Soils) Systems Education & Consultation; Soil Microbiology Research Advisor with the Food Water Wellness Foundation in Olds, Alberta; Research Director with Carbon Sync in Freemantle, Western Australia; and Soil Health Consultant with COG (Canadian Organic Growers) in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also working with Dr. Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, on a project combining Regenerative Agriculture and Renewable Energy (RARE) to reduce the economic risks in transitioning to regenerative agriculture. Kris participates on the Advisory Board for the Real Organic Project; Scientific Advisory Board with the Savory Institute’s – Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV)program; Land Use & Agriculture Task Force for the HRH Sustainable Markets Initiative; and as a Soil Science Advisor with Health First.  Kris’s voice is heard in a number of forums where she speaks about the value of healthy soil in food production systems, and I am really happy to have the chance to talk with her today.

Resources links

Canada Grazing Exchange

A free online platform connecting livestock owners with landowners across Canada who have available grazing land or cover crops. A great tool to help improve soil health and make the most of forage opportunities.
 www.canadagrazingexchange.com

Gateway Research Organization (GRO)

Based in Westlock, Alberta, GRO is a local Applied Research Association offering practical, science-based information on topics like soil health, pasture management, and livestock. They host regular winter "CropTalk" sessions and pasture webinars—perfect to catch live or rewatch later. Many producers enjoy tuning in while working in the field. 

Listen to recorded sessions on Podbean: Gateway Research Organization | Podbean

FaRM Learning Hub

The FaRM (Farm Resilience Mentorship) Learning Hub is a go-to resource for Canadian farmers looking to build climate-resilient farms using regenerative agriculture practices. It offers self-guided learning modules, videos, and practical tools focused on grazing, soil health, and cover crops. The hub also features six free mini-courses that walk you through creating a grazing plan, covering key topics like paddock and cell design, fencing, record keeping, and more—perfect for getting started or refining your current system.

https://www.farmlearninghub.ca/pages/about-grazing

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was sponsored by Manitoba Beef Producers and funded in part by Farmers for Climate Solutions and Manitoba Habitat Heritage through the Conservation Trust Program.If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganics.com.

Guest bio 

Ward Middleton

Ward and his wife, Jo-Anne Middleton, own and operate Midmore Farms in Sturgeon County, Alberta.  Their operation has been certified organic for 28 years. The operation is an eclectic mixed farm that strives to find synergies between organic grain production and utilizing a custom grazing/feeding operation for nutrient import and soil health.  

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Manitoba Organics.

 

Resources links

Learn more about struvite from the Manitoba Cooperator:

https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/struvite-fertilizer-from-winnipeg-sewers/

Organic Federation Canada published a detailed article on Phosphorus cycling in organic systems that can be found here:

https://mailchi.mp/organicfederation/phosphorousstruvite

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by Conservation Trust.  If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganics.com.  

Guest bio  

Ian and Jo-Anne Cushon, along with their son Liam, operate Moose Creek Organic Farm at Oxbow, Saskatchewan.   The farm is in southeast Saskatchewan in the thin black soil zone.  The primary crops grown are wheat, oats, flax, hemp, and alfalfa seed. Ian started farming in 1981 and began converting to organic farming in 1985. After 30 years of organic farming, protecting and improving the soil and managing fertility with crop rotations and off-farm inputs on 5000 acres, requires continued learning, experimentation and lots of patience.

 

Creating a nutrient budget will help you evaluate the effect of nutrient management on your fields’ sustainability and help you assess efficiency and improve resource allocation. The Nutrient Budgeting Web App was developed to help with multi-year nutrient management planning, especially for producers that rely on biological nitrogen fixation and/or occasional inputs of manure or other soil fertility amendments. This multi-year approach to nutrient management planning can help to optimize production while decreasing nutrient loss to the environment by doing a better job of matching soil nutrients to crop needs.

The Nutrient Budgeting App will help you calculate whether nutrients are accumulating or being depleted from your fields over time.  It makes it easy for you to add up the nutrients you are bringing onto your fields (including through N fixation by legumes) and subtract the nutrients that leave your fields to help you plan your crop rotations and soil amendments. The NBA is meant to be used alongside other nutrient management tools, such as soil testing.

Whether you are an organic producer, transitioning to organic production or a conventional producer wanting to better understand how legumes in your rotation can help you reduce synthetic nitrogen use, the NAB will help you understand the efficiency and flow of nutrients in your fields.

Resources links

https://pivotandgrow.com/resources/grain-resources/grain-production/nutrient-budgeting/

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by Conservation Trust and Farmers for Climate Solutions. If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganics.com.

Guest bio

Joanne Thiessen Martens 

Dr. Joanne Thiessen Martens is Assistant Professor of Soil Chemistry and Fertility in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba. She teaches and conducts research on soil fertility and nutrient flows in agroecosystems, especially phosphorus dynamics and alternative crop production systems, including organic production. Her current research focuses on the interactions among soil, plants, and fertilizers, especially with recycled phosphorus inputs like struvite, as well as strategies to increase sustainability and resilience in prairie cropping systems. Joanne has worked with farmers, agronomists, extension personnel, and researchers across Manitoba and Canada, as well as internationally.

Resources

You can learn more about all of the organic science cluster projects here: https://www.organic-science-canada.ca/about-us/

And specifically learn about the project discussed today here: https://www.organic-science-canada.ca/field-crops/optimizing-the-environmental-and-agronomic-co-benefits-of-recycled-phosphorus-inputs-for-organic-field-crops/

Guest bios

Dr. Thiessen Martens' research focuses on nutrient flows in agroecosystems, including agronomic and environmental aspects. She is especially interested in phosphorus dynamics in soils and plants, as well as nutrient dynamics in all kinds of ecological farming systems

Dr. Amarakoon's research program focuses on advancing climate-resilient, sustainable agricultural systems that enhance environmental stewardship while safeguarding surface waters and human health.

Amanda is a Master’s student in Soil Science at the University of Manitoba with a background in biology and regenerative farming. Her research with the Organic Science Cluster 4 focuses on creating enriched composts using recycled phosphorus to close nutrient loops in organic agriculture. She is passionate about bridging soil and human health, growing nutrient-dense food, and building resilient systems that restore and optimize soil health.

Sponsors

This episode was sponsored by Manitoba Habitat Heritage through the Conservation Trust Program.

Credits

Host: Scott Beaton

Narrator: Marika Dewar-Norosky

Producer: Hailey Proutt

Editor:  Brandon Janzen

Podcast oversight committee: Jason Peters, Scott Beaton, Dan Dorge, Marika Dewar-Norosky

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Manitoba Organics.

Resources

DriftWatch is now active across all three Prairie provinces! Whether you’re a farmer, applicator, or beekeeper, this platform is here for you. 

Visit Drift watch and map your farm here: https://mb.driftwatch.org/

Find more information and a walkthrough on how to map your farm here: https://www.manitobaorganics.com/driftwatch

Sponsors

This episode was sponsored by Manitoba Habitat Heritage through the Conservation Trust Program.

Credits

Host: Hailey Proutt

Narrator: Marika Dewar-Norosky

Producer: Marika Dewar-Norosky

Editor:  Brandon Janzen

Podcast oversight committee:  Scott Beaton, Marika Dewar-Norosky

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Manitoba Organics.

Resources links

There are many online resources to help with getting started in organic certification that are continually updated. Canadian Organic Growers has a detailed overview of the steps to transition. 

https://cog.ca/transitioning-to-organic/

Sponsor

Our podcast is supported by generous donations, grants and sponsorships. This episode was funded in part by Manitoba Habitat Heritage through the Conservation Trust Program. If you would like to sponsor an episode, contact us at info@manitobaorganics.com.

Guest bio

Melanie Rivard is an independent organic inspector and evaluator with over a decade of experience in organic certification, having worked in the sector since 2010. She lives near Miniota with her husband, Marc, and various two- and four-legged animals.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Manitoba Organics.

Resources

Use Driftwatch and Beewatch to map your fields and bee colonies to prevent unwanted pesticides and keep the bees safe! https://driftwatch.org/

Guest bio for Ian Steppler

Ian Steppler is a third-generation farmer from just outside of Miami, Manitoba. After finding an interest in bees through a class he took in university, Ian now manages over 1800 bee colonies. Serving as chairperson of the Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association, Ian offers a unique perspective from the industry in addition to his perspective as a farmer and beekeeper.

Sponsors

This episode was sponsored by Manitoba Habitat Heritage through the Conservation Trust Program.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Manitoba Organics.