Allison and Cody started their farm, Upland Organics, in 2010 near Wood Mountain, SK. They grow certified Regenerative Organic (ROC^TM) crops as well as a certified organic beef herd. Over the last decade, they have experienced significant challenges due to an on-going drought, which started in 2017. This has shifted their focus to improving the structure and biological diversity of their soils in order to provide resilience in this changing climate. They use cover crops, perennial forages, rotational grazing, compost, and reduced tillage techniques.

They have on-farm soil and plant health assessment programs in order to collect data and measure the changes that these techniques are making in their system. As a result, they have measured increases in organic matter, biological diversity, infiltration, and a reduction in compaction. They enjoy learning from others and are always looking for new ways to leave the land better than they found it.

Ashley Schmalenberg is a local baker and the owner of Saltine Baking Company, located in Regina Saskatchewan. With a background in both professional cooking and baking, Ashley founded Saltine with the intention of creating a bakery where both sweet and savoury cooking techniques were utilized to develop high quality breads and pastries. Saltine works with numerous local farmers and purveyors to preserve, create and highlight Saskatchewans’ abundance from wheat, fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs, oil and more.

Brent Preston and his wife, Gillian Flies, owned and operated The New Farm, a Regenerative Organic Certified vegetable operation near Creemore, Ontario, for almost 20 years. In 2024 they transformed their farm into the New Farm Centre, a non-profit research and education organization dedicated to developing, demonstrating and advocating for a regenerative farming system in Canada. Brent is the past President of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, co-founder and President of Farmers for Climate Solutions, and the author of The New Farm: Our Ten Years on the Front Lines of the Good Food Revolution, a national bestseller. Prior to launching his farming career, Brent worked as a human rights investigator, election observer and journalist on four continents. 

A strategist and organizer working at the intersection of regenerative agriculture, soil health, and systems change. Trained in soil science, he holds a master’s degree focused on soil carbon and continues to support producer-led research, policy design, and transition finance initiatives across Canada. Until recently, he led Regeneration Canada, helping scale its programs and national network. Originally from Egypt, Antonious combines lived experience in family farming with ongoing part-time work on the land—keeping his hands in the soil while working toward systems that better serve those who steward it. He serves on the board of Farmers for Climate Solutions and is a 2026 Nuffield Canada Contemporary Scholar.

Gabe Brown is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement. Gabe, along with his wife Shelly, and son Paul, own and operate Brown’s Ranch, a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch. The ranch consists of several thousand acres of native perennial rangeland along with perennial pastureland and cropland. Their ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature’s image. The Browns holistically integrate their grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include a wide variety of cash crops, multi-species cover crops along with all natural grass finished beef and lamb. They also raise pastured laying hens, broilers and swine. This diversity and integration has regenerated the natural resources on the ranch without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. Gabe recently authored the book, “Dirt to Soil, One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture.

Craig Cameron is the Chief Food Craftsman at Peony Farms, where his family and team produce regenerative, forage-finished Piedmontese beef just outside Lacombe, Alberta. His work focuses on how farmers can work with soil, plants, and animals to support the specific health needs of the people they feed. Peony Farms’ most recent work has focussed on supporting individuals with histamine and mast cell challenges.

Craig’s mission began when his daughter was born with health issues and he realized the beef he was raising was not good enough to support her optimal healing. That realization sparked a deep commitment to understanding how to produce food as medicine. Years of reading, talking with researchers and on-farm research into soil, plant, animal, and human health transformed both his farm and his understanding of how food can be crafted for health.

Today, Craig is known for connecting the dots between soil health, plant health, animal health, and human health. He brings a mix of science, common sense, and lived experience to help people choose foods that truly support healing. He is sharing this knowledge through teaching eco-nutrition part-time at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition- Edmonton branch.

Kalie Rider is an Integrative Registered Dietitian and musician who lives in Western North Dakota on her brother’s regenerative grass-fed beef ranch. In 2009 she was hospitalized for an infection in her leg and needed two intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics, after which she lost her ability to digest many foods and seemingly lost all resiliency in her body. She followed an animal-based diet to heal, eating mostly meats, veggies, broth, ghee, lard, and tallow. Through this she realized the healing power of pastured animal meats and fats. However, after 15 years of restrictive dieting she craves a new conversation around health and healing, one that prioritizes diversity and sharing over restriction and isolation. Specific interests include ancestral foodways, culinary nutrition, and soil-to-human health concepts.

Throughout her health struggles her primary coping mechanism has been music. She has been singing and playing her guitar around Western North Dakota either by herself or with her band Gettin’ Outta Dodge for 15 years. She has written music about family, country life, the industrialization of rural America, and of course – the prairie.

Joel Williams is an independent plant and soil health educator and consultant, who has worked extensively across Australia, Europe and North America. He holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science specializing in plant and soil dynamics, alongside an MSc in Food Policy, where his research explored the motivations and barriers to the adoption of intercropping. Joel is widely respected for his ability to translate complex scientific research into accessible, practical knowledge, and is passionate about bridging the gap between science and practice in sustainable agriculture.

With over 25 years of hands-on experience, Kevin has helped producers across Canada, the U.S., and now Australia design custom multi-species blends that build soil health, boost profitability, and improve resilience in the face of climate variability.

Raised on a seed farm in Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, Kevin studied agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan before purchasing land with his wife, Christina, in 1999. When they realised their soil was not functioning as it should, Kevin took a deep dive into biological systems. By integrating short-term perennials, biennials, livestock, and eventually cover crops, the farm began to heal – and so did Kevin’s understanding of how nature actually works.

In 2022, Kevin and his family sold their farm so he could fully dedicate himself to education, consulting, and public speaking. He now travels extensively, helping producers rebuild soil ecology, rethink their management systems, and reduce stress by making confident, informed decisions. His calm presence and methodical teaching style have earned him high praise from event organisers and farmers alike.

Mark and Laura Hoimyr are co-owners/operators of Box H Farm, near Gladmar, SK. At Box H Farm they grow grass, raise cattle and sell grassfed beef, pastured pork, and honey. Over the past 20 years, their farm has evolved from a conventional mixed grain and cattle operation to a forage-based business that grows nourishing food while working to improve the soil and grasslands they manage. There is nothing they love more than being out on our land, observing nature and learning new ways to enhance the beautiful prairie ecosystem.

Nikki is Technical Director at Pasture for Life – a UK based farmer membership organisation that promotes grass based ruminant systems. She is a first-generation farmer based in NE Scotland, where she and her husband James run Rottal Land and Livestock in partnership with Rottal Estate, managing livestock operations across 2500ha.

Nikki has a PhD in Agroecological Transitions and has interests in Holistic Management, agroforestry and food system resilience.

Roger Daniels has spent most of his life working with lands on Mistawasis Nehiwayak, where he has lived for all but three years of his life. Beginning his career in the Band Office, Roger became Land Manager in 1989 and in 2002 Roger served as Specific Land Claim Coordinator. Mistawasis Nehiwayak signed onto TLE in 2022 and Roger took on his current role as the Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) Legacy Trust Coordinator. Roger’s lifelong commitment to land stewardship reflects a deep responsibility to protect, restore, and sustainably manage lands for future generations. 

Simeon is a soil scientist with an engineering background who helps farmers, ranchers, and land managers transition to regenerative practices based on the six principles of regenerative agriculture. His work focuses on on-farm fertility systems that reduce reliance on external inputs. Drawing from experience in plant science and engineering, Simeon has contributed to the development of the Hiwassee Products line of equipment tailored to support producers in building biologically resilient, healthy soils.

Kristelle Harper is Regeneration Canada’s Manitoba Local Manager, where she helps strengthen networks of producers and partners across the province, supporting the transition to regenerative practices and resilient farming communities.

A rancher and professional agrologist based in Brandon, Kristelle’s passion for healthy soils began early, through father-daughter grazing and soil health workshops. She went on to earn a degree in Animal Science, a diploma in Applied Sustainable Ranching, and her P.Ag designation, pairing academic knowledge with hands-on ranching experience.

After returning to her family’s farm in 2016, Kristelle built her own beef cattle herd while working with Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to create Solar Nutrition, a store dedicated to products rooted in regenerative agriculture, and later to serve as a Farm Management Consultant at MNP. In 2021–2022, she was selected for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Young Leadership program, where she focused on enterprise management, direct-to-consumer sales, and work–life balance.

As a proud mom of two, Kristelle loves sharing her passion for agriculture and healthy soils with her children while helping to grow the regenerative movement across Manitoba.

Tannis and Derek Axten are third-generation farmers near Minton, Saskatchewan, where they own and operate Axten Farms with their family. They are recognized leaders in regenerative agriculture, with a strong focus on building soil health, biodiversity, and long-term farm resilience. Their operation integrates practices such as no-till farming, cover cropping, intercropping, and diverse grain production. Beyond primary production, they have invested in their own grain cleaning, food-grade milling, and direct-to-market channels to connect with end users. Derek and Tannis are active advocates and educators, frequently sharing their experience with producers, organizations, and the broader food community.

Tatenda Mambo is a sustainable agriculture and policy researcher dedicated to advancing diversified farming systems as a pathway to social transformation and climate resilience. With over a decade of experience in agri-environmental policy, regenerative practices, and stakeholder engagement, Tatenda connects farmers, policymakers, and financial institutions to accelerate the adoption of low-emission agricultural practices.

Yamily Zavala is the Manager of the CARA Soil Health Lab and a Crop & Soil Health Management Specialist based in Alberta. She works closely with producers, Applied Research Associations, and industry partners across the province to evaluate soil biological, physical, and chemical indicators as part of large-scale soil health benchmarking and verification projects.

Her work specializes in soil biology, soil chemistry, soil microscopy, soil fertility interactions, wet aggregate stability, soil physical health assessments, and integrated soil health monitoring systems. Yamily has extensive experience interpreting how soil chemistry, nutrient dynamics, organic matter, biological activity, and physical soil structure interact to influence crop performance and long-term soil resilience.

She focuses on translating complex soil science into practical tools that producers can use to better understand soil function, nutrient cycling, fertility management, and management outcomes under real farming conditions. Through the CARA Soil Health Lab, she has helped lead province-wide initiatives evaluating soil health across hundreds of agricultural fields throughout Alberta while developing practical demonstrations and educational activities that help producers visualize the living and functional components of soil health.

Tenille Bonoguore is the Strategic Initiatives Lead at the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. Tenille is a former journalist and science writer whose climate work started at the community and municipal scale, then went to the global scale as part of Australia’s international climate engagement team for COP28 and COP29, where she also worked on the agriculture negotiations. She now focuses on food systems, aiming to connect people and ideas to unlock opportunity at the nexus of food, climate and nature.

Carlton “Shorty” Fensky is a mixed crop and livestock producer near Thorsby, Alberta, where he co-owns and operates C. Fensky Farms with his brother. The farm produces grains and beef while actively applying regenerative practices, including reduced tillage, diverse crop rotations, cover cropping, and integrating livestock with cropping systems to improve soil health and ecological function.

Shorty became passionate about soil health after attending the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health in 2015, which changed how he viewed soil biology and long-term farm resilience. Since then, he has shared his experiences with other producers and contributed to discussions on regenerative agriculture as a voice grounded in practical knowledge.

His approach focuses on results—improving water infiltration, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing profitability—and he continues to engage with peer learning networks and agricultural events across Alberta and beyond.

Emily has worked in the food industry, academia, and the not-for-profit sector at the intersection of food and the environment. In her current role, Emily is the Manager of Program Implementation and Partnerships with the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food (CANZA) working on building the Million Acre Challenge Program- a cost-share and agronomic support program helping farmers adopt regenerative agricultural practices across Canada.