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 summer heat pulsed across the Prairies in late July of 2024, and our Program Coordinator, Dru, gave Stacey and Dale of White Owl Farm a visit near Sturgis, Saskatchewan. Stacey and Dale operate their farm together as a powerful duo, and they are involved in a succession plan with the landowners who are also their farm mentors. They have been farming since 2018, and they grow wheat, oat, flax, and peas in an organic crop rotation. These two are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to improve their soil heath and structure.
During the farm visit, Dru, Stacey, and Dale delved deep into monitoring techniques and discussed regenerative agriculture and all of its facets. Stacey is a strong advocate for policies that reduce costs for transitioning to regenerative and organic farming systems, and she highlighted the critical need for more financial support. Dale and Stacey are well-versed in the principles of regenerative agriculture, so it came as no surprise that Stacey jumped into action by conducting a water infiltration test like a pro.
Sturgis, Saskatchewan is a beautiful landscape of wildlife and scenery, and the three soil samplers were pleasantly surprised to find a moose in the distant fields. Dru caught a photo of it before they continued their farm visit.
After digging a soil pit, Dru, Stacey and Dale were excited to find mycorrhizal fungi interconnected in the roots of their crops. Mycorrhizal fungi act as amazing vectors for transporting water, nutrients, and carbon across plant roots, and these plant-fungal interactions are key characteristics of healthy crops contributing to healthy soils.
We would like to thank Stacey and Dale so much for hosting this fantastic farm visit. We can’t wait to see these incredible farmers change the face of regenerative agriculture!
To learn more about the ROO program, visit our Regenerative Organic Oats (ROO) page on our website.