‘Regenerative farming’ million acre challenge focuses on agriculture rich southern Ontario

Nick Betts from Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agri-Food and Ken Schaus, Bruce County beef and grain farmer, look at Schaus’ use of cover crops to reduce carbon emissions, and increase yields on his farm near Walkerton, Ont. on Oct. 16, 2025. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

For the past 15 years, Ken Schaus has been using cover crops on most of the 4,000 acres he farms with his family across Bruce and Grey County.

“We’ve seen an incredible difference in the soil, what it’s become and what it’s producing,” said Schaus.

Using cover crops to protect the soil, limit runoff, and maintain soil nutrients, is just one of the ways farmers are being encouraged to incorporate more “climate friendly” or “regenerative” practices onto their farms.

It’s the focus of a new nationwide initiative from the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food (CANZA), called the Million Acre Challenge, to try and limit carbon emissions in food production.

“There are huge environmental benefits that that come from this kind of agriculture. So we’re calling it the Team Canada approach to climate smart agriculture, where we can stand side by side farmers all the way through the supply chain, to retailers and researchers to say this is how we can build economic and environmental resilience into Canadian agriculture in a new way,” said CANZA Executive Director, Nick Betts.

With $7 million in start-up funds from the Weston family, CANZA wants to share the start-up costs of projects that bring down farmers carbon emissions, keeps soil in the ground, and/or conserves water, while building a marketplace for farmers, using carbon credits, or other rewards for incorporating climate friendly practices onto their farms.

“In our current system, it’s farmers taking on all of the cost and a lot of the risk upfront. So, if we can help share some of those costs and risks, so that we allow farmers to innovate and find solutions for climate smart practices on their farm that work for them, then that’s what we really want,” said Betts.

The Million Acre Challenge will focus on agriculture rich southern Ontario first. The goal is to have 365,000 acres involved in the program in five years time, and 25 million of Canada’s 153 million farmable acres signed up, by 2050.

Schaus says on his beef and grain operation, they are using less fertilizer and fuel by using cover crops, while improving yields at the same time.

“We’re not the biggest farmer in the neighborhood. But you know, all our land is in crop rotation, using cover crops after the winter cereals. We’re putting composter manure back on the land and we’re keeping the ground covered. You know, very little tillage. You know, if I can do it, any farmer can do it. Quite honestly, it’s not hard to do. And it feels like the right thing to do,” said Schaus.

Agriculture accounts for between five and 10 per cent of Canada’s yearly carbon emissions.

“Only about four per cent of climate finance actually goes to agriculture globally. And that’s a very small amount of money towards a huge sector that is doing a lot for us. It sequesters carbon, it feeds us, it provides food security, it provides jobs, it provides culture and family. So why can’t we grab that money and put it on the ground where it’s actually needed?” said Betts.