In the summer of 2024, the Regenerative Organic Oats (ROO) program was in full swing across the fields of participating Prairie farmers. Program coordinators conducted various field monitoring techniques and collected soil samples for laboratory analysis. This hands-on experience offered invaluable insights into the soils these farmers are regenerating, highlighting their efforts to optimize crop yields, store more water in the soil, and increase soil biology.
The Prairies were particularly smoky in July of 2024, and that’s when our Program Coordinator, Dru, took a trip to Richard, Saskatchewan to visit David on Katerynych Family Farm. David farms 1500 acres of a beautiful variety of organic crops, ranging from oats to sweet clover to hemp and beyond. His green oat fields complimented the purple/orange sky in perfect synchrony, and the two of them went off into the fields to begin the day of monitoring techniques.
During Dru’s visit with David, they discussed critical soil regeneration topics including tillage and soil health. David’s critical thinking and commitment to practical, experience-based learning are impressive and provide inspiration to his peers and members of his community. David toured Dru around his crops, and Dru learned amazing things about his oat seeds. Check out this stunning picture of one of David’s oat fields — did you know that there are varieties of oats specifically bred to succeed under organic management? Using varieties of crops that tailor to your success while maintaining ecologically-based practices is a fantastic way to boost your yields and regenerate your soil’s health. David’s knowledge sharing continues to build regenerative organic communities and reinforce the positive impact that ecological-based practices have on farm fields.
David’s approach to agriculture emphasizes finding what works best for his unique conditions and focusing on his individual context. One of the core principles of regenerative agriculture is understanding your context, and this principle is crucial to address before applying the other principles or selecting the practices that will be best for your farm. The effectiveness of agricultural practices often hinges on how well they are tailored to the specific soil types, climate conditions, farm resources, management goals and other local factors. By personalizing their approach, farmers are able to address their unique challenges and optimize the practices they use to improve both soil health and crop yield.
Thank you so much for your hospitality, David! We are looking forward to another great season in 2025.
To learn more about the ROO program, visit our Regenerative Organic Oats (ROO) page on our website.