Tune in to hear Chris Simeniuk from Kettle Ridge Organics and Sébastien Angers from the Ferme de l’Odyssée share their journeys towards organic no-till field crop agriculture. This talk will explore the different realities and on-the-ground experiences from two different farmers’ perspectives, one located in Alix, Alberta, and the other in Ste-Monique, Québec.
Regenerative agriculture is based on a set of principles and practices that aim to rebuild the soil ecosystem in order to mitigate climate change and environmental degradation. One of the central principles that helps regenerate soils and draws down carbon is no-till or reduced tillage. Reducing tillage can minimize soil erosion and help bring back soil biodiversity. However, the weed pressure is high in an organic agriculture setting. Integration of other principles is key, such as implementing cover crops and inviting biodiversity.
Chris Simeniuk experienced first-hand the evolution in prairie agriculture from an intensive tillage summer fallow cropping system to the current minimum-tillage direct seeding practice common on the prairies today. Having recognized the benefits of reduced tillage, Chris is working on taking reduced tillage and direct seeding strategies and adapting them to a minimum-tillage regenerative organic system. He will be sharing some of the challenges he faced in his transition towards reduced tillage, and how he managed to solve them. He will address the importance of proper and responsible tillage and cover crop planning.
Since 2007, Sébastien Angers has been practicing conservation organic agriculture on a farm that has a history of organic farming since 1984. In 2007, he sold his plow to start using ridge tillage techniques. It was a big challenge to adapt his equipment to reduce tillage. Over time, he experimented with a wide variety of crop designs. Throughout the years, he continued his research to find the right equipment to integrate a maximum amount of cover crops. His goal: to maximize the potential of plant synergies! Eternally curious and creative, Sébastien will explain his evolution in creating and understanding cropping system design as well as his reflections on the challenges, problems and solutions he has experienced. He will share his stories related to the practice of organic and regenerative agriculture, more specifically organic direct seeding.
This event will be bilingual (english and french) with direct translation available.
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