Rooted in indigenous and peasant knowledge from around the world and supported by modern science, regenerative agriculture practices involve cultivating understanding between producers and managers of the land, with an emphasis on soil maintenance and interconnections.
By adopting practices such as cover crops , crop rotation, intercropping, reduced tillage , livestock integration and maintaining biodiversity , these farmers are working to rebuild soil fertility in order to sequester more carbon, retain more water, and thus make their farms more resilient. The benefits extend far beyond the confines of the farm—possibly to a revolution in food production, driven by pro-innovation collaborations between farmers, scientists, and policymakers.
This movement benefits ecosystems by bringing together producers, chefs, scientists, and consumers who care about their choices. Throughout this series, we will highlight the ten guiding principles of regenerative agriculture that are at the heart of Regeneration Canada's mission. Each article will introduce you to a new aspect of the transformative world of regenerative agriculture!
The importance of context
Let's start with understanding context , a central aspect of regenerative agriculture. Context is the circumstances that influence our perception of a situation and the way in which we react to it. It includes factors like climate, soil type, farm size, community, finances, personal values and goals: a whole range of influences that shape each farmer's regenerative journey. Properly understood, this context serves as a guide to the transformation approach that will be adopted.
Several questions must be asked: Who manages the farm? Is it a single person, an intergenerational family, or somewhere in between? What crops grow well in this soil and climate? What values guide the land manager? What are her aspirations and how does she make her decisions? Understanding the context allows us to identify the factors leading to the adoption of good regenerative practices, but also the obstacles to their adoption.
The Canadian context
This summer, Regeneration Canada visited 10 farms in 8 provinces. From the vast plains of Manitoba to shared land in Ottawa, the contexts were multiple. Ryan Boyd of South Glanton Farms , located near Brandon, Manitoba, raises cattle and produces grain on a few hundred hectares with his family and one full-time employee. His first motivation is to give his children a healthy rural education.
In contrast, Sun Shan of Chi Garden in Ottawa operates her farm with her partner Li Bo on shared land owned by the Just Food organization . This duo is motivated above all by the wish to encourage culinary creativity and to recognize the cultural aspects of food.
Rachel Lightfoot, of Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards in Nova Scotia, operates a vineyard with her parents and sisters. The Lightfoot family is motivated by the connections that human beings can forge between themselves and the spaces they inhabit. With the help of several employees, the family communicates their story through wine and food made with ingredients grown on site.
At Fromagerie La Station in Quebec, the Bolduc family offers a shining example of commitment to regenerative agriculture practices and the well-being of pasture-raised cows. The Bolduc are driven by values anchored in biodiversity, soil health, animal welfare and the well-being of workers; they find it important to take care of everything that lives on the farm. Additionally, their holistic approach extends to the production of exceptional quality maple syrup and cheese.
Dairy cows take advantage of their modernized barn at Fromagerie La Station in Quebec, September 2023. Photo: Geneviève Leblanc, Régénération Canada
Canadian agriculture, which makes up approximately 7% of the country's economy, is practiced across a wide range of farm types and sizes. The average size of a farm in Canada ranges from 152 acres in Newfoundland & Labrador to 1,668 acres in Saskatchewan. In 2021, oilseed and grain production accounted for the largest proportion (34%) of farms in Canada, followed by beef and feedlot operations (21%).
Strong demand for organic products caused the number of farms reporting organic production to increase by 32% in 2021 compared to the previous census, so that organic farms now represent 3% of all farms .
Canada can boast of its impressive capacity to produce a great diversity of plant and animal species. Our team had the enormous chance to experience the hospitality and passion of the farmers we visited in order to better understand the very particular contexts in which they operate.
Challenges and opportunities: Agriculture of the future
The average size of farms in Canada has almost doubled over the past 50 years, due to technological advances and land consolidation. At the same time, the number of small or medium-sized farms has declined , which affects the rural landscape and the dynamics of different regions of the country. The situation is aggravated by the aging of the population of farmers, whose average age is now 56 years old. In 2021, more than 60% of agricultural producers were aged 55 and over, while only 8% were aged 35 or younger . A worrying observation: the scale of the succession is currently insufficient to ensure the continuity of existing farms.
Among the obstacles that confront young people looking for an entry into the agricultural sector, the cost of land is a major one. This issue risks reducing the number of young people who will consider agriculture as a career, and therefore leading to a shortage of qualified farmers in the future.
The year 2021 saw for the first time a substantial increase in the number of women farm operators in Canada in three decades. Ontario reported the highest number of farms operated by women (26.2% of the Canadian total), followed by Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec, while British Columbia boasted the highest ratio of operators to operators (39.7%). This notable increase is mainly explained by the increase in single-operator farms and represents a positive trend towards diversity and new perspectives in the sector. It is also a sign of the increased recognition of women's contributions to agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture is the new farming buzzword, but few can agree on what it means
Regional variations
There are ten soil orders in Canada Each order is separated into large groups and subgroups according to the characteristics of its parent material, which tells us about the chemical composition, organic matter content and grain size (texture) of the soil.
In the Prairie region, chernozems dominate . These soils have a high organic matter content, are rather arid, and are therefore better suited to the production of livestock, fodder, legumes, oilseeds and straw cereals.
Piedmontese plants in a prairie landscape at Peony Farms in Alberta, September 2023. Photo: Hamaka Creativity Lab
In contrast, the Canadian Shield which extends over the north-central and eastern part of the country is largely composed of Podzols and Brunisols. The acidic conditions created by podzols are especially suited to coniferous forests. Brunisols , on the other hand, resemble podzols but offer superior conditions for agriculture.
Canada can be divided into three major climatic regions: the northern Arctic and subarctic territories; the central and eastern regions, characterized by their temperate climate; and coastal regions along the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The particular climatic conditions of each of these regions determine the agricultural practices that take place there.
Primary agriculture in Canada is concentrated in the Prairies, Quebec and southern Ontario. It is the temperate climate of the center of the country and the availability of land on the Prairies that make these regions suitable for agriculture. Quebec and Ontario together host more than 40% of Canadian farms, while the Prairie provinces are home to 47% of farms and more than 82% of agricultural land.
How is it that a crop gives different results from one region to another?
Temperature, precipitation and growing degree days are all factors that determine the ability to produce various crops in a given region.
Growing heat and degree days:
Growing conditions in a region are largely dependent on temperature, as measured in growing degree days (GDD). For example, bananas grow best at 31–32ºC and stop growing when the temperature falls below 10ºC, making them an unsuitable crop for Canada's climate.
But even within the country, the principle of DJC makes it possible to distinguish between regions better and less well adapted to different cultures. For comparison, Ontario, with its mild winters and long hot summers, is Canada's leading producer of grain corn, which requires 2,700 DJC ; Saskatchewan, with its long, cold winters and semi-arid environment, ranks first in spring wheat production , requiring only 1,200 .
That is, the value of the DJC parameter, which is a function of temperature, gives rise to unique growth niches. These variations are essential elements of Canada's regional context that must be understood if we want to choose the crops best suited to different growing zones.
Peaches grow on the land of Snowy Mountain Farm in Cawston, British Columbia, in September 2023, thanks to the region's warm, dry climate. Photo: Hamaka Creativity Lab
The duration of sunshine:
Just like the DJC, the duration of sunshine in each region proves to be a crucial determinant of agricultural production. The longer this duration, the longer the growing season and the more generous the yields. This is because sunlight is essential for photosynthesis, the process by which plants produce sugar and oxygen from CO2 and water.
For example, the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia has a dry and hot climate with high sunshine duration: on average 2,000 hours of sunshine per year . These conditions make it an ideal region for growing apples, grapes and nuts, which require lots of light.
The climate of southern Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley in the same province offer a more temperate climate with an annual average of approximately 1,500 hours of sunshine. Small fruits, vegetables and mushrooms are better suited to this region, which can still support fruit trees, although the latter take longer to mature. This difference between fruit ripening periods illustrates the remarkable diversity of agricultural landscapes in Canada while highlighting the importance of a good understanding of contextual factors in order to choose agricultural practices adapted to each region.
Precipitation:
Precipitation also plays a vital role. Rice, which requires a lot of water to grow, is poorly adapted to Canada's climate. But the drier regions of the country, such as the Prairie provinces, are well suited to the production of pulses, oilseeds and straw cereals.
Ultimately, context is key. Canada's varied climates and agricultural landscapes determine the unique context for regenerative agriculture in each region. It is this regional context that allows us to understand the crops that grow well there, the methods that give good results and the challenges that confront farmers.
But the context ultimately includes the whole range of influences that shape the journey of each farmer, well beyond the choice of crops. From climate and soil types to personal values and aspirations, each factor is a thread in the grand tapestry of regenerative agriculture.
The adventure has only just begun! The Stories of Regeneration tour highlighted the diversity of Canadian agriculture and the passion of regeneration pioneers. Throughout this series, we will further explore how these various contexts shape the agricultural approach in Canada. We need to understand the opportunities and challenges presented by the agricultural landscape — including, notably, the aging of the agricultural population and the rising cost of land — in order to find context-sensitive solutions that will lead to a more resilient and regenerative future for everyone.
