U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Provides Growers with Tools to Improve Year after Year

Jan 18, 2023

KC Sheperd, Farm Director, is visiting with the Program Operations Manager for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, Tillman White, talking about how the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol aids cotton producers in growing a sustainable cotton crop.

The 2022 year, White said, was full of ups and downs for cotton growers, with some areas receiving too much rain, and some not enough. White encourages growers to look into utilizing the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol to access data to help them improve each year.

One of the biggest benefits of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, White said, is market opportunities.

“One of the biggest driving forces for the trust protocol was our end-use customer,” White said. “Our brands and retailers were looking for ways to source their fiber that checked different boxes, so they wanted to ensure that the fiber they sourced was grown sustainably, also had low labor risk, and I think the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol provides that for our growers that join the program.”

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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.