MFGA eBulletin - September 2025

Photo credit: Nerbas Bros Angus

From the Desk of the Executive Director

As some of you have seen, we released our draft agenda for our 2025 MFGA Regen Ag Conference earlier this week. We are proud of the quality of the conference once again this year. We firmly believe the keynotes and the overall conference theme of Enriching Land, Lives and Livelihoods will be well supported in all talks, conversations and trade show interactions.

We also have carried on our tradition of adding a special event to the conference to help make it as good as we possibly can for our delegates and attendees. At past conferences, we’ve taken big steps such as screening the Manitoba premiere of Common Ground and we’ve showcased the expertise of Dr. Jon Lundgren and Jaime Elizondo in fireside chats with local farm experts Blain Hjertas and Ryan Boyd respectively. At our hybrid conference (online and in person), we live-interviewed our trade show booths for online viewers during coffee breaks. And we also did a full online conference over a month of Thursdays during Covid. Last year, we also brought breakout sessions to conclude our conference, giving delegates one more chance to ask keynotes that one last question that they didn’t get a chance to. We are doing that again this year.

Each MFGA conference has been unique in their own way. All deliberately aimed at enhancing our farmer and supporter delegate’s experiences at our MFGA conference.

This year, in addition to our sterling slate of keynotes and updates from past conference keynotes John and Deanne Chuiko, we have dedicated our entire November 12 evening event – kicked off with a mixer and meal – to a three-pack of panels all around regen ag in three important areas: Farm Gate, Dinner Plate, Global Weight. Moderated by the stage-savvy talents of Dana Penrice and Bluesette Campbell of Holistic Management Canada, we expect solid discussions, provocative thoughts and tangible learnings.

Eight years later, we stand proud of our event and what it looks like now. We throw thanks, compliments and kudos at all seven of the previous MFGA conference committees, chairs, volunteers and attendees. And we especially owe deep thanks to all our delegates, supporters and sponsors for getting us here.

As a foundational premise year after year, though, is the simple fact that we take great pride in hosting an awesome gathering of farmers at a conference organized by farmers focusing on farmers interested in learning about regen ag.

We can’t wait! And we are really looking forward to seeing you all there!

Muchos Grasses ALL,

Duncan Morrison, MFGA Executive Director

Manitoba Ag Minister and MFGA executive meeting re-cap

(l to r) Sean Smith, MFGA finance chair, Hon. Ron Kostyshyn, Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Mike Duguid, MFGA chair, Zack Koscielny, MFGA vice chair, Duncan Morrison, MFGA executive director at Minister’s office September 2, 2025.

A personally-delivered invite to the 2025 MFGA Regen Ag Conference, an important chat about the MFGA Aquanty Model usage potential at Manitoba Ag, and a hard dive into regenerative agriculture and the early adopters that use these regen practices on their profitable farms for the benefit of families, biodiversity, water management and grasslands highlighted a great chat between Minister Kostyshyn and the MFGA executive in early September.

MFGA chair Mike Duguid also thanked Minister Kostyshyn for his leadership and Manitoba Ag’s support on drought relief drought to livestock producers through enhanced AgriInsurance benefits via MASC, a 40 per cent quality adjustment on cereal crops converted to feed, and access to financing for feed purchases.

The meeting was joined by Christopher Sanderson, the Minister’s executive assistant, in person, Heather Martens, assistant deputy minister, and Charlene Gulak, Minister’s Dauphin office manager on zoom.

MFGA CONFERENCE HOSTS REGEN AG SUMMIT

MFGA Releases 2025 MFGA Regenerative Agriculture Conference Agenda

The agenda for the 8th Annual MFGA Regenerative Agriculture Conference, themed “Enriching Land, Lives, Livelihoods,” is now available. Highlights include the Regen Ag Summit Night, a dynamic trade show, and keynote presentations from Rick Clark (featured in Common Ground) and leading regen ag voices from across Western Canada. Early bird registration is open and spots are filling fast.

View the agenda and register: here

All Hands on Deck: MFGA’s Manitoba Climate Action Fund Project continues to advance with first advisory council meeting

MFGA’s Climate Action Fund grant from the Province of Manitoba titled Evaluating climate change impacts on Manitoba's forage and grassland landscapes hosted the first advisory committee update and discussion recently.

The project objective is to support enhanced resiliency to a changing climate within the Manitoba grassland and forage sector. The project will work with watershed districts and other partners to quantify the range of potential hydrological climate change impacts to Manitoba's forage and grasslands and facilitate planning, preparation, and long-term resiliency within the sector. Climate risk maps will be developed and presented to key stakeholders to inform decision making. The key will be mid and end of century forecasts that incorporate forages and grasslands as land use to help plan around water resources and buffering climate change.

MFGA AGM 2024-25: September 29, 2025: Zoom

MFGA will hold our annual general meeting online via zoom 1:00 pm on September 29, 2025. Voting on AGM matters will be conducted by MFGA board members, who have been notified of the AGM three weeks ago. Over the coming year, MFGA will be seeing continued succession at the board of director level in the next year. Interested potential board member applicants and those interested in MFGA are welcome to attend our annual meeting.

Zoom link: here

David Wiens Re-Elected President of Dairy Farmers of Canada

Manitoba dairy farmer and longtime MFGA supporter David Wiens has been re-elected to a second two-year term as President of Dairy Farmers of Canada. A third-generation farmer from Grunthal, Wiens continues to lead on key issues including promotion, research, animal care, and advocacy. MFGA offers our heartiest congrats to David Wiens on being re-elected as president of DFC.

National Farmers Union: zoom Drop In: Regenerative Approaches to Agricultural Policy and Governance: Wednesday Sept 24, 2025: 7-8:30 pm

The discussion will be on taking a regenerative and holistic approach to ag policy. Dana Penrice from Holistic Management Canada will lead the discussion. Here's a link to more details:

https://mailchi.mp/nfu.ca/region-5-update-8526198

Great Plains Conservation Network (GPCN) webinar September 22 , 2025

GPCN Prairie Webinar Series: Considering disturbance interactions for grassland wildlife management: More than just fire-grazing interactions | Great Plains Conservation Network

Nazim Cicek Appointed Dean of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Dr. Nazim Cicek has been named the next Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba, effective January 1, 2026. A long-time professor and researcher in Biosystems Engineering, Dr. Cicek is recognized for his leadership in research, teaching, and sustainable agri-food innovation.

MB Ag Hiring Two G3 Livestock & Forage Extension Specialists

These roles are primarily based in Killarney and Arborg; however, they may be located in any Manitoba Agriculture office in the region, subject to operational requirements and approval. Deadline to apply is Oct.5.

Manitoba Government Job Opportunities | Your search is over

Nominations Now Open for the 2025 Wilson Loree Award

Farm Management Canada is accepting nominations for the 2025 Wilson Loree Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to farm business management in Canada.

Deadline: October 3, 2025

Winner announced at AgEx, November 18–19 in Winnipeg

Submit your nomination here

MWAF's Fall Summit – October 9, 2025 – at Caboto Centre, Winnipeg

EVENTS

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef AGM & Conference – September 23, 2025 – at Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport, ON learn more and get tickets here

NFU Zoom Drop In – September 24, 2025 - Regenerative Approaches to Agricultural Policy and Governance: Wednesday Sept 24, 2025: 7-830 pm

More info: here

MFGA AGM – September 29, 2025 – 1:00 pm-2:00 pm zoom: here

University of Manitoba Special Faculty Seminar: Novel Solutions to Improve Cattle Production and Sustainability - Thursday, October 2, 2025 - 10:30–11:15 AM

219 Animal Science Building, 12 Dafoe Road, University of Manitoba (in person or livestream) Register: here

MWAF's Fall Summit – October 9, 2025 – at Caboto Centre, Winnipeg