MB Pulse And Soybean Growers Invests In 25 New Research Projects

Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) will be investing $1.4 million towards research in Manitoba in 2015.

 

The money will support 25 new soybean, edible bean and field pea projects.

 

Production specialist Kristen Podolsky says it's important to invest into research, especially with the huge expansion of soybeans in Manitoba over the last few years.

 

"We're able to optimize agronomic practices, not only in one region but in multiple growing regions across the province," she said. "We have very distinct growing areas in terms of growing season length, soil conditions, and moisture. So it's important that we're testing whether it's seeding rates or crop input use, efficient input use, [or] harvest management. It's important that we invest into research that will come up with the best management practices for each growing region."

 

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.