With rising interest among farmers and landowners in regenerative agricultural (regen ag) practices, the East Interlake Watershed District (EIWD) is co-hosting upcoming sessions on funding programs that are available to help people transition to improved land-management practices.
In conjunction with the West Interlake Watershed District and the Redboine Watershed District, the EIWD is offering “101 sessions” on regen ag in Arborg, Stonewall and Warren.
Farmers and landowners can learn more about regen ag practices that include rotational grazing, cover cropping, nitrogen management, water management, erosion control, tree planting, shelter belts and water retention, as well as about available funding of up to 85 per cent to establish a project.
Kathleen Melnychuk, the EIWD’s regenerative agriculture coordinator, is helping organize the sessions and is a practitioner of regen ag.
Regen ag can “mean something different” on each farm and that’s why it’s so important and impactful for Interlake farmers to consider adopting some or all of its guiding principles.
“There are five main principles to regen ag: minimizing disturbance, maintaining a living root, keeping the soil covered, increasing diversity and integrating livestock,” said Melnychuk. “Using one or more of these practices on the farm can help with numerous benefits including increases to crop yield, water infiltration and biodiversity, improvements to soil structure and hydric properties, and reductions to water pollution, erosion, parasite pressure, weed growth, leaching and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Watershed districts are grassroots organizations composed of municipalities that preserve and enhance the environment and which partner with higher levels of government. The EIWD, which was formed in 2005, is composed of Armstrong, Bifrost-Riverton, Fisher, Gimli, Grahamdale, Rockwood, Rosser, St. Andrews, West St. Paul, Woodlands, Arborg, Stonewall, Teulon, Winnipeg Beach, Dunnottar and Selkirk.
The reward of adopting regen ag practices, whether in varying degrees or in combination, is improvement to land and more money in a farmers’ coffer.
Melnychuk and her husband, Mike, own and operate Stoney Acre Farms in Fraserwood where they’ve put regen ag to the test. They produce strawberries, pumpkins and other squash, as well as sweet and ornamental corn. They sell their produce directly to consumers.
“We strongly believe in ‘from field to fork’ and supporting our local producers. We have been slowly implementing various practices of regen ag onto our operation. We have been dabbling in some cover crop mixes, moved away from broadcasting fertilizer and upgraded our seeder to allow for in-row banding of fertilizer (when needed). We have changed our fertilizers to use manure. Based on our soil tests, we have been able to reduce our synthetic fertilizer inputs,” said Melnychuk.
“One of our largest projects has been our water-retention project as we are trying to keep as much water on our property as possible to help with drought assistance on the farm as we do need to irrigate some of our crops. We also installed a 6,000-tree shelterbelt in our field and further increased the buffer area and other areas throughout the farm by seeding native tall grasses and flowering species to increase pollinator species, reduce pest pressure, reduce weed growth and so much more.”
Trying out some regen ag practices on a few acres rather than an entire farm is a good way for farmers to experiment. And Melnychuk said the producer is ultimately the one to decide what principles to implement and to what extent — which is the sixth principle of regen ag. There are some upfront costs to taking on a regen ag project, but a farmer should recoup those costs in the long run.
“Trying something new on a few acres is a lot less scary than trying something new across the whole farm. While there are upfront costs to any of these practices, ultimately, the producer will see their money back in the long-run,” said Melnychuk. “Funding through the Prairie Watershed Climate Program for regen ag is a gateway to help farmers in a try-before-you-buy system that will encourage them to take on more regenerative practices in the future. While talking with producers across the Interlake about regen ag programs, we have also been able to include producers into other funding that the EIWD can provide to producers and landowners.”
Interest in the Prairie Watershed Climate Program among Interlake farmers has been well received, with over $3 million delivered to producers in the EIWD since the start of the program in 2022, she said.
“We are already planning and have projects lined up for the 2026 season. If there are producers that are interested in cover crop, nitrogen management or rotational grazing funding, I would suggest getting an application in as soon as possible,” she said. “We do have other funding options that producers can also take part in, when we receive your application, we will make sure that we get you fitted into the right program for your project. Applications are accepted throughout the year.”
The free regen ag 101 sessions will take place in Arborg on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Arborg-Bifrost Community Hall, in Stonewall on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. at the SIAS Red Barn, and in Warren on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. in the Warren Multipurpose Building.
To register for the sessions, contact Kathleen Melnychuk by email at k.melnychuk@eastinterlake.ca or phone 1-204-642-7578, or contact Jennifer Hunnie by email at Jennifer@redboine.com or phone 1-204-526-4223.
For more information about funding and programs, email the EIWD at info@eastinterlake.ca or call 1-204-642-7578.
