An Oasis in the Palliser Triangle: A conversation with Calvin Gavelin

If cover crops can work here, they can work anywhere. The Palliser Triangle has always demanded grit. Stretching across southern Saskatchewan into southeastern Alberta, this region is defined by extremes: searing heat, biting cold, fierce winds, and an annual rainfall of less than 10 inches. Classified as semi-desert, this open prairie landscape was originally said to be unsuitable for human settlement, but settle it anyway, we did. Only now, thanks to a few brave farmers, ar

Heather Heinrichs

6 days ago5 min read

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An Oasis in the Palliser Triangle: A conversation with Calvin Gavelin

If cover crops can work here, they can work anywhere. The Palliser Triangle has always demanded grit. Stretching across southern Saskatchewan into southeastern Alberta, this region is defined by extremes: searing heat, biting cold, fierce winds, and an annual rainfall of less than 10 inches. Classified as semi-desert, this open prairie landscape was originally said to be unsuitable for human settlement, but settle it anyway, we did. Only now, thanks to a few brave farmers, ar

6 days ago5 min read

Exploring Benefits of Regenerative Farming Practices

Regenerative farming is more than just a trend; it represents a fundamental shift in how we approach agriculture. As the world grapples with climate change, soil degradation, and food security challenges, regenerative practices offer a beacon of hope. This blog post delves into the myriad benefits of regenerative farming, illustrating how these practices not only enhance agricultural productivity but also contribute to environmental sustainability and community resilience. Un

6 days ago4 min read

Top 5 Regenerative Farming Techniques for Sustainability

Regenerative farming is more than just a trend; it is a vital approach to agriculture that seeks to restore and enhance the health of our ecosystems. As the world grapples with climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, regenerative practices offer a pathway to sustainable food production. In this blog post, we will explore the top five regenerative farming techniques that not only improve soil health but also promote biodiversity and resilience in farming syste

6 days ago4 min read

ABOUT ME

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, I went to college in Alberta and worked as a reporter for 5 years before I married a farmer and raised our two boys on the farm. I fell in love with farming. The grain, the hay fields, and the cattle, all of it. I no longer farm but my passion for regenerative farming burns strong.

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🧺🌽🥕 Farmers’ Market Friday 🧺🌽🥕

Let’s talk about something real for a second.

It’s so easy to walk into a big grocery store and drop a hundred dollars without even thinking about it — tap the card, bags in the cart, done.
Somehow it feels normal. Automatic. Almost invisible.

But when we go to a farmers’ market, suddenly pulling out $20 or $30 in cash to buy from a local grower can feel harder.

Not because the food is overpriced…
but because we’re used to being disconnected from our purchases.

At a farmers’ market, we’re face-to-face with the person who planted the seed, weeded the rows, fed the animals, baked the bread, or harvested the vegetables.
There’s a real human being on the other side of that exchange — and we feel the value differently.

Here’s the truth:
🌾 your dollars go further in your community
🌿 more of your money reaches the actual farmer
🍅 your food is fresher and more nutrient-dense
💚 and you’re supporting land stewards who care deeply about soil health

It might feel different than tapping at the till…
but different doesn’t mean harder.
It means intentional.

So this weekend, if you’re heading into town, consider swapping part of your grocery list for a stop at your local farmers’ market.
Your money stays local.
Your food is better.
And your farmers keep farming.

Where are you shopping this weekend? 🧺✨

https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/farmers-market
Farmers Market Stock photos by Vecteezy

Food for Thought Thursday 🍽💛
There’s nothing quite like real grass-fed butter from a Jersey cow.

I used to churn my own butter from my Jersey cow's cream, and every time I look back at this photo, I’m reminded of how much nutrition you can actually see. What blows me away is that her butter didn’t turn this deep golden colour until she started eating fresh, green, growing grass. Once she hit pasture, the beta-carotene and vitamins in that vibrant forage showed up right in the cream. This is what real nutritious food looks like. Nature doesn’t lie.

Every milk cow in Canada should be out on grass as much of the year as possible. And some dairies are on board with this idea. I met a couple at the MFGA conference who own a 55-cow dairy, and they have recently started letting their cows graze outside on pasture.

"They look so much better!" exclaimed the wife.

"How so? In what way?" I asked.

"Well, for one thing, their coats are much shinier," she said.

"And we don't have nearly as many foot abscesses anymore," added the husband.

It’s amazing what happens when food comes from healthy soil, healthy plants, and healthy animals. 🌱🥛✨

🌱 No-Till Tuesday 🌱

This week I want to highlight a powerful reminder from Rick Clark’s presentation at the MFGA conference. Rick farms 5,600 certified organic no-till acres and has been running a zero-chemical, zero-tillage system for over a decade. His message was simple, but it hit hard:

“The first principle that he focused on is minimizing disturbance. No mechanical disturbance and no chemical disturbance.”
— About Rick Clark's presentation at MFGA 2025, Episode 18

That commitment to no disturbance is what rebuilt his soil biology, cooled his soil temperatures, boosted nutrient cycling, and helped his farm save millions in input costs. No-till isn’t just a practice for him — it’s the foundation of a whole biological system that works with nature instead of against it.

The principle of no-till or minimal tillage was brought up by most of the presenters at the conference as one of their main tools for regenerating soil health.

When we stop disturbing the soil, the soil starts working for us. 🌾💚
Happy No-Till Tuesday!

Happy Monday, friends!
Episode 18 of Regenerative Farming News is now live! 🎙️✨

This week, I’m bringing you a full recap of the MFGA Regenerative Agriculture Conference, including Rick Clark’s powerful keynote, big policy announcements, and a celebration of the farmers right here on the Prairies who are proving that regenerative agriculture works. I also discuss The Narwhal’s incredible article, which highlights Saskatchewan regenerative farmers like Calvin Gavelin, Mark & Laura Hoimer, and Rob Wunder — a huge win for independent journalism and soil health storytelling!

If you love hearing real stories from real farmers, and you’re excited about where regenerative ag is headed in Western Canada, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. 💚🌱

🎧 Listen now:
🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/regenerative-farming-news/id1735749203
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UXlHWCdJMjqhzX0idFDS7
▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/WR9DdB3E_8Q
🌐 Website: https://www.regenerativefarmingnews.com

Let me know what part spoke to you the most — I love hearing from you!

🌾⛱️ Soil Armour Saturday 🌾⛱️

Soil armour does more than look good in the field. It transforms the environment where roots and microbes live.

Bare soil heats up fast, dries out quickly, and leaves the biology fighting for survival. But a protective layer of residue or living biomass creates a stable, cool, thriving ecosystem.

At the MFGA Regenerative Ag Conference, Rick Clark talked about the green manure crops that he uses to create a thick layer of organic "biomass" that keeps his soil covered.

“That armour is protecting the soil and the microbes,” he said. “If you look at a barren field on a 95-degree day, the soil is well over 130 degrees. That kills your microbes; they can't survive in those temperatures. But a thick layer of biomass will keep the soil much cooler at 70 degrees.”

And Calvin Gavelin’s reminder hits just as hard:
“We’ve been killing our soils ever since they were homesteaded, because we haven’t kept living roots in them year-round. That year it was dry, and wherever the soil was left open, it just baked right off.”

Cooler soil. More moisture. More biology. More resilience.
That’s the power of keeping your soil protected.

Healthy soil stays covered. Covered soil stays alive.

🌽🥕 Farmers’ Market Friday 🌽🥕

There’s no better way to kick off the weekend than by supporting the people who grow and make your food.

When you shop at a local farmers’ market, you’re doing more than filling your bags — you’re:
✨ keeping dollars in your community
✨ supporting regenerative and sustainable farms
✨ choosing fresher, healthier food
✨ helping small producers thrive

And here’s something to think about…
Most of the bread in big grocery stores is never even touched by a human hand. It’s mixed, shaped, baked, sliced, and bagged by machines — start to finish.

At a farmers’ market, your bread, produce, baking, preserves, and meats are made or grown by real people, with care, intention, and love. You can look them in the eye, ask questions, and know exactly where your food came from.

So if you’re heading out this weekend, remember to swing by your local market and show some love to the growers, bakers, ranchers, and makers who keep our communities fed. 💚

Where are you shopping this weekend? 🧺👇

🥕🥒 Food for Thought Thursday 🌾🥬
I’m planning a weekend supper with a friend, and we decided to make the whole meal from local, regenerative food — including bison meat and homemade buns using flour from a Saskatchewan mill.

There’s something special about knowing where every piece of your meal comes from.
Bison raised on healthy prairie grasslands.
Veggies grown in living soil.
Flour milled right here at home.
Real food, with real stories behind it.

Food for thought:
When we choose local, we nourish more than ourselves — we support the people and landscapes that feed us.

#FoodForThoughtThursday #EatLocal #RegenerativeFarming #PrairieFood #Bison #SaskatchewanGrown #SoilToSoul

💧 Water Cycle Wednesday 💧

One of the biggest wins we see on regenerative farms is how quickly the water cycle starts to repair itself once the soil is covered, alive, and protected.

I had another chat with Tannis Axten, of Axten Farms. We talked about their farm’s transformation and she said:

“Overall, yeah, we don't have standing water like we used to or washout through the field. We've seen a huge reduction in all of that. You might not be able to measure those things, but it's still a very noticeable difference. It just shows you are on the right track.” — Tannis Axten, coming up in next weeks' episode.

When your soil is functioning properly, water stops escaping and starts working for you.
Less runoff. Less erosion. More infiltration. More moisture held where your crops need it.

Changes like leaving residue, minimizing disturbance, and keeping living roots can drastically improve how your land handles rain, especially in the dry years.

Healthy soil = healthy water cycle.
And that’s how we build resilience, one field at a time. 🌧🌱💚

Check out Axten Farms flour made from ancient grains grown on their own farm, available in stores around southern Saskatchewan.

https://www.axtenfarms.ca/

🌱 No Till Tuesday 🌱

This week’s shoutout goes to Keri over at The Compost Corner, who reminded us just how powerful covered, undisturbed soil can be.

Keri planted her garlic this fall and shared something incredible:
Because she keeps her soil protected under a thick layer of mulch and leftover plant material, she didn’t need a tiller, a shovel, or even a watering can.
She simply reached in with her hand, parted the mulch, and tucked each garlic clove into soft, living soil.

No crust. No compaction. And minimal watering.
Even in a drought year.

That’s the magic of no-till: when we let the soil stay covered and alive, it becomes its own ecosystem of structure, moisture, and biology. The work gets easier, the soil gets healthier, and the crops get stronger.

Keri’s garlic is already off to a beautiful start, and so is the soil beneath it.

Happy No Till Tuesday, friends. Keep it covered, keep it living, keep it thriving. 🌾🧡

https://www.facebook.com/backyardandcompostcorner

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An Oasis in the Palliser Triangle: A conversation with Calvin Gavelin

FEATURED POST

Never miss a new story.

Recent stories

An Oasis in the Palliser Triangle: A conversation with Calvin Gavelin

Exploring Benefits of Regenerative Farming Practices

Top 5 Regenerative Farming Techniques for Sustainability

ABOUT ME

FOLLOW ME

​

SUBSCRIBE

MY PICK OF THE MONTH

MY PICK
OF THE MONTH