Regenerative farming methods in use on the small, B.C. island farm for decades to build soil, capture nutrients, and promote biodiversity are reaping rewards as the climate crisis advances.

When Jacob Beaton quit his business consulting job and left Vancouver for a homestead in northern B.C., he didn't plan on the farm becoming a hub for reviving Indigenous food sovereignty.

The weed war, which puts more than $528 million in crop losses on the line each year in Canada alone, has for the past 50 years been fought with an arsenal of toxic herbicides that harm human health and contribute to the biodiversity and climate crises.

Several times last year, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau found herself stomping through fields talking to farmers dealing with unprecedented floods, drought and hurricanes. The disasters were an "eye-opener" for many, hinting at a future where the climate crisis will make similar disasters more common — and worse. 

When a powerful drought fried the fields on Doug Griller's farm last summer, the Manitoba rancher feared they would have trouble bouncing back. A herd of bison helped the recovery exceed expectations.

Karn Manhas, the CEO of Canadian agtech company Terramera, believes that technology is key to making more sustainable regenerative farming widespread.

Why a grain that lives for years could solve the climate crisis.

Regenerative farming promotes raising crops and livestock together along with other methods to promote soil health.

Céline Caron and Yves Tessier devoted their lives to protecting soil health long before regenerative farming became mainstream.

The past decade has seen exploding interest in an approach to farming focused on soil health called regenerative agriculture, which proponents say can help fix the climate crisis. The problem? No one agrees on what regenerative agriculture actually means.

Cover crops and other key practices in organic, regenerative, and agroecological farming also help farms weather the climate crisis. In addition to keeping soils stable during floods, they protect the ground from extreme heat, which can kill important microbial ecosystems, and help retain moisture during dry spells.