Farm unions amplify call to rescue Bill C-234's original integrity

Nov 03, 2023

Sask Wheat is joining SaskBarley, SaskCanola, SaskFlax, SaskOats and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers to call on senators to reject the Agriculture and Forestry Committee’s approved amendment to remove the heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses from Bill C-234, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

Farmers pay a carbon price on essential farming activities such as irrigation, grain drying, feed preparation, heating or cooling of barns and other agricultural growing structures, Sask Wheat states in a press release.

Bill C-234 would provide an exemption, limited to on-farm fuel use for these necessary farm practises, allowing farmers to invest their money in the efficiency of their operations.

Although grain dryers remain exempt from carbon pricing on natural gas and propane, the recent amendment introduces a troubling double standard within the industry, Sask Wheat asserts. Failure to reject this amendment on the senate floor will lead to substantial delays in passing the legislation, requiring it to be sent back to the House of Commons for additional review.

Bill C-234, as written, recognizes the lack of viable alternatives for grain drying. To safeguard the profitability and sustainability of farmers, as well as to defend our food production and food sovereignty, Sask Wheat is calling on producers to write their senators and urge them to reject the committee’s amendment and uphold the integrity of Bill C-234.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.