Michael Thiele was born and raised in Dauphin, Manitoba on a typical Prairie farm. Wheat and canola dominated the crop rotation with some barley, oats and peas. A small herd of cows grazed the unfarmed acres. Michael’s career trajectory was most likely farming, given his active involvement in the family farm and his decision to study Plant Science in the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba.

In hindsight, not returning to the family farm after graduating university was a blessing for Michael. Instead, he began a 30-plus-year journey to understand agriculture and the importance of soil, water, sunlight, plants and animals and the realization that all the parts are interconnected – a concept critical to the long-term success of food production and the health of the biosphere. Over that time Michael has worked with many conservation organizations focused on soil, water and wildlife habitat in the context of Prairie agriculture.

In this episode Michael and I talk about two different projects Michael is involved with, the Ducks Unlimited Canada Grazing Club and the General Mills Pilot program.  

The DUC Grazing Club in the Brandon area began in 1999.  Michael shares the problems producers were facing at that time, which jump started the program.  We also discuss how the DUC Grazing Club has evolved over the years, and the current goals and objectives of the program.

We finish our discussion about the Grazing Clubs by talking about the events that are upcoming, as well as resources producers can access on the YouTube Channel.  To find more information about the DUC Grazing Clubs, please visit: 

DUC Grazing Clubs Website: https://www.ducks.ca/resources/landowners/grazing-clubs/

Manitoba Grazing Clubs YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLthJYUxgXXaegQ9J_TnbeA

In partnership with Understanding Ag, General Mills has funded and administered three pilot programs across Canada and the United States. General Mills is committing to regenerative agricultural practices on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030. 

Their definition of regenerative agriculture is any method of farming that “protects and intentionally enhances natural resources and farming communities.”  General Mills’ core principles of regenerative agriculture include minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing crop diversity, keeping the soil covered, maintaining a living root year round and integrating livestock to crop land. 

Michael expands on what the General Mills Pilot Program is, as well as discussing the goals of the project, support that is available to producers who are involved in the program and the studies that have taken place on acres that are part of the project.

For more information about the General Mills Pilot Program, please visit: 

https://www.generalmills.com/how-we-make-it/healthier-planet/environmental-impact/regenerative-agriculture

Also mentioned in this episode are: 

• The 1000 Farms Initiative https://www.ecdysis.bio/featured-project
• Understanding Ag https://understandingag.com
• Regenified https://regenified.com

If you would like to contact Michael to find out more about the DUC Grazing Clubs, or the General Mills Pilot Program, or to chat with him about the wealth of information he possesses in regards to regenerative agriculture, you can contact him at: [email protected] or 204-365-6334.

Please note, this episode was recorded in the spring of 2022, so workshops mentioned may be passed by the date of airing.

We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more!

Instagram: @MBBeefandForage

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Twitter: @MBBeefandForage

Website: www.mbfi.ca 

Email address: [email protected] 

The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada and Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP), Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA).