After weathering the drought conditions in 2021, farmers all over were wondering how to increase resiliency on their farms. This panel discussion from the 2022 Prairie Organics Conference, led by Scott and featuring Ryan Canart (Assiniboine West Watershed) and Henry Wilson (AAFC Research Scientist), covers ways to improve water infiltration and carbon sequestration on organic farms.

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.

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/.

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.

Host: Scott Beaton
Narrator: Karen Klassen
Producer: Karen Klassen
Editor: Jason Peters
Podcast oversight committee: Anne Kirk, Jason Peters, Tierra Stokes, Marla Carlson, Deb Tuchelt