On World Soil Day – December 5th – we delved into the world of living soils, regenerative agriculture, and its potential as a climate solution.
Dr. Marie-Élise Samson, Associate Professor in the Department of Soils and Agri-Food Engineering at Laval University, discussed the importance of soil health in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. We then heard from RĂ©beka Frazer-Chiasson of Ferme Terre PartagĂ©e in New Brunswick and Vincent Bolduc of Fromagerie La Station in QuĂ©bec as they discussed the practices they’ve adopted and the positive impacts they’ve observed on their land, their yields, and in their communities. Facilitator Isabelle Marquis, RD, a Communication & Food Innovation Strategist, moderated the conversation. Watch the recording below (with English interpretation):Â
About the farmers:
RĂ©beka Frazer-Chiasson comes from a long line of farmers dating back to 1886, when the story of Terre PartagĂ©e began at the hands of the Chiasson family. With a degree in globalization and social justice, agriculture is much more than sowing, weeding and harvesting for RĂ©beka. Sensitive to different realities and injustices around the world, she’s never too busy to get involved in the community. She is passionate about food sovereignty and knowledge sharing. Although she won’t admit it, she’s Terre PartagĂ©e’s organic specialist.
– Discover Ferme Terre PartagĂ©e –
Alongside his family, Vincent Bolduc runs the farm at Fromagerie La Station, a 4th-generation family business practicing organic farming since 1995. The farm has 125 milking cows and cultivates 1000 acres of organic land in pasture, hay and grain. La Station uses methods that blend innovation and tradition: bulk hay dryer, crop rotations, cover crops, windbreak hedge, riparian buffer, integrated weed control, rotational grazing, etc.
– Discover La Station –
About the speaker:
Marie-Élise Samson is an agronomist and assistant professor in the Department of Soils and Food Engineering in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at Université Laval. Her fields of expertise include agropedology and the biogeochemical cycles of soil organic matter. Through her research, her collaborations with various players in the agrifood sector and her involvement in various knowledge transfer and educational activities, Marie-Élise aims to contribute to ensuring the sustainability and resilience of agrifood systems through a systemic, transdisciplinary and collaborative approach.
About the moderator:
Isabelle Marquis, RD, is a Communication & Food Innovation Strategist. With over 20 years experience as a nutrition, food marketing and communications professional, Isabelle has unique multidisciplinary expertise in many facets of the food industry. Renowned for her rigour, contagious passion and strategic creativity, Isabelle is also an outstanding communicator who knows how to inspire as well as mobilise.
Now self-employed, Ms Marquis is firmly committed to helping improve the food supply, in terms of both health and sustainable development, by supporting companies of all sizes in the Quebec and Canadian food sector in their innovation and communication efforts. She also contributes to a number of mobilising projects with industry support organisations such as CIBIM, CTAQ, Amélioration alimentaire Québec, Équiterre and Foodbridge.
A well-known speaker and a reference in her field for many medias, Isabelle acts as Innovation and Sustainable Development Ambassador for SIAL Canada and has been a contributor to the program L’épicerie on Ici Radio-Canada Télé since 2018.
About the campaign:
This webinar is the second in a 6-part webinar series, and is part of our Stories of Regeneration campaign. The campaign aims to enhance public awareness around regenerative agriculture practices and how farmers contribute to combating climate change and food systems issues.
The webinar series will run from November 2023 – March 2024. All sessions are free to attend live, and free to watch later. We encourage you to register for as many sessions as you’d like!
Keep an eye out for our podcasts, short films, and blog posts that will be released throughout the coming months too.
