Oct 18, 2021 (Winnipeg, MB) – One of the world’s foremost experts on linking soil, water and climate change through the rebuilding of productive biosystems will kick off the 2021 Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) Regenerative Agriculture Conference with a virtual keynote presentation for those viewing online and those in-person at Brandon’s Victoria Inn Conference and Convention Centre on the evening of Monday November 15, 2021.
Slated for the Monday night slot after the MFGA’s Annual General Meeting, Walter Jehne, an internationally known Australian soil microbiologist and climate scientist and the founder of Healthy Soils Australia, will present about “the soil carbon sponge” and its crucial role in reversing and mitigating climate change. Jehne’s research and work has focused on the ability of soil to safely cool the climate by repairing our disrupted hydrological cycles, returning some of the excess carbon in the atmosphere to the soil where it belongs. In 2017, Jehne participated in an invitation-only United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization conference in Paris aimed at bringing soil into the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. Needless to say, to have a speaker of Jehne’s stature and impact has MFGA Regen Ag Conference organizers enthusiastic about kicking off the 2021 conference with such a notable keynote.
“To get Walter Jehne to keynote at our 2021 conference was really a key focus of our conference organizing committee and we are thrilled to land such a remarkable globally-recognized keynote to kick off our conference this year,” said Ryan Boyd, MFGA’s Regen Ag Conference committee chair. “Walter has been heard by numerous world leaders and countless influential audiences and has been a true champion on linking soil health and the importance of re-building productive biosystems, which is music to the ears of many of the producers within the MFGA network. Walter talks about what we all are interested in and we all want to hear.”
Jehne is the most recognizable name of the 2021 MFGA conference keynote line-up and is locked down for the conference-opening marquee Monday night presentation. Boyd says the other keynotes – from across the globe – all bring key soil health, farm and land management learnings and abilities to the event.
Here’s a recap of the full agenda speakers and panelists along with Ryan Boyd’s Keynote/Panel Event Forecast as to what conference delegates can expect:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021
5:00 PM - MFGA AGM - Steve Frey, Guest Speaker
7:00 PM - Understanding the Impacts of Water and Methane Cycles on the Climate, Walter Jehne, Australia (Remote)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021
8:15 AM – Diverse Regenerative Ag Systems in Practice, Bertie Coetzee, South Africa (Remote)
9:30 AM - Producer Panel: MultiSpecies in Manitoba
Moderator: Jacques Saquet, Laurier, MB
Wayne McDonald, Cartwright, MB
Zach Koscielny, Strathclair, MB
Guy Bouchard, Gardenton, MB
Boyd’s Forecast: South Africa’s Bertie Coetzee is well-known in global circles on Instagram @bioboertie, showcasing the day to day operations of a diversified direct to consumer organic farm. Bertie’s farm integrates permaculture principles, perennial pasture, annual crops, mixed species grazing, wine production, and much more. The Made-in-Manitoba producer panel that follows is comprised of some of the leading regen ag multi-species graziers in Manitoba, providing insights and directions for those considering similar practices on their farms.
11:00 AM - Soil Organic Matter Science, Dr. Francesca Cotrufo, Colorado State (Remote)
Boyd’s Forecast: Dr. Cotrufo is a leading expert on soil organic matter formation and will provide insights into just how fast soil carbon can be added to the soil!
1:30 PM - Regenerative Dairy, Jono Frew, New Zealand (Remote)
2:15 PM - Producer Panel: Manitoba Regenerative Dairy
Moderator: Lawrence Knockaert, Bruxelles, MB
Sean Smith, Minnedosa, MB
Henry Nyhof, Ile des Chenes, MB
Paul Kernaleguen, Birch Hills, SK
Boyd’s Forecast: Dairy represents one of the biggest opportunities for regen ag in Manitoba. Jono has worked with many grazing dairies in New Zealand where his passion for Regenerative Agriculture has influenced many farmers and graziers. We are very excited to have these three young dairy farmers showcase their homegrown expertise in regenerative dairy farming in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
4:00 PM - Measuring Change and Getting Paid, Kim Cornish, Alberta, Canada (In-person)
Boyd’s Forecast: Kim and the crew at Food Water Wellness Foundation in Alberta are finding interesting results measuring soil carbon and many other biological indicators. Kim’s knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for producer-led solutions via their farms and ranches will resonate for everyone excited about the ecological benefits of Regenerative Agriculture.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021
8:00 AM – Bringing Life Back to the Farm with Livestock, Blake Vince, Ontario, Canada (In-person)
9:00 AM - Producer Panel: Crop Residue Grazing
Moderator: Ryan Boyd, Forrest, MB
Ted Unrah, Cromer, MB
Duane Thompson, Kelliher, SK
Boyd’s Forecast: Blake Vince, Nuffield Canada’s president and international expert on cover crops, will share his motivations for adding perennial forage and cattle to his farm in southern Ontario. The producer panel brings local, practical experience in building a regenerative farm system with cattle as the centrepiece up cycling roughage and building soil.
10:30 AM - Agroforestry in Design and Practice, Stephen Briggs, UK (Remote)
Boyd’s Forecast: Stephen Briggs, farmer and consultant from the UK, literally wrote the book on “Agroforestry in the UK.” Briggs will give practical advice on setting up an agroforestry system and how he makes it work on his own farm. Stephen and his wife run a successful farm shop and he does agronomy consulting for the Royal Family’s agriculture properties.
1:00 PM – Optimizing Grazing Systems, Pablo Etchebury, Argentina (Remote)
2:00 PM – Producer Panel: Ultra High Stock Density Grazing
Moderator: Kristelle Harper, Brandon MB
Mark Hoimyr, Gladmar, SK
Connor English, Bradwardine, MB
Boyd’s Forecast: Using ultra high density grazing techniques to profitably manage the grazing system, Pablo is influencing graziers around-the-world with more than 50,000 Instagram followers @pens_agro. Prairie panelists Connor English and Mark Hoimyr will showcase their experiences in Manitoba and Saskatchewan using similar grazing methods they have learned from Johann Zietsman and Jaime Elizondo.
3:30 PM - Speaker and Panelist Q&A
4:00 PM - What would a Regenerative Ag Landscape in Manitoba Look Like?, Ryan Boyd, Forrest, MB
Boyd’s Forecast: We will cap off the conference with a discussion and review of what we have learned, some practical ideas to what our future might hold and how we can get there on Canada’s prairies and beyond.
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