February Set New Grain Record

Mar 08, 2023

Collaboration improved among the grain industry allowing for a shipping record.

February 2023 was the best February on record for Canadian grain movement according to an announcement by CN. The company moved more than 2.4 million metric tonnes of grain during the month from Western Canada. The last record February was Feb. 2021 and this new record surpassed that by over 200,000 metric tonnes. CN credited the improvement in collaboration between supply chain partners to set this new record.

“Improved communications between CN, our customers, and supply chain partners have made our grain supply chain a success in February,” said Sandra Ellis, vice-president, Bulk – Rail Centric Supply Chain, CN. “When each of us has a better understanding of what our partners are dealing with, we can adjust our individual operations to work through disruptions when they occur. That type of collaboration leads to higher levels of performance across the entire supply chain. It also sets a new benchmark for all of us to strive for as we work through the rest of this winter.”

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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.