MFGA 2026 REGENERATIVE AG CONFERENCE AGENDA

November 9-10, 2026

Victoria Inn, Brandon Mb

Building Community from the Ground Up

PUBLIC AGENDA

October 9, 2026

Our MFGA 2026 agenda is presented as finalized draft weeks out from our event, speakers may change with short notice due to unforeseen events that organizers have no control over. Alternates will be publicly shared if/when this should this occur.

Day One: Monday, November 9, 2026

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: TRADESHOW SETUP & CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

1:00 PM: CONFERENCE LAUNCH: Duncan Morrison, MFGA Executive Director: Welcome & Land Acknowledgement

1:05-1:10 PM: INTRODUCTIONS/TODAY’S AGENDA: MFGA Chair Zack Koscielny will serve as MC

1:10 – 1:50 PM: KEYNOTE 1: Alex Boersch, Elie, Manitoba: “Nutrition Farming In The Red River Valley”

How we aim to improve our farm’s resilience by focusing on properly feeding our soils via improved and expanded photosynthesis. The dos and don’ts of trying to farm regeneratively in a flood prone, “short growing season”, and heavy clay soil context.

1:50 – 2:00 PM: Q&A with Alex Boerch

2:00 – 2:30: Partner/Program Update: Kristelle Harper, Regeneration Canada: Dairy Hub update and report

2:30 – 3:00 PM: TRADE SHOW & COFFEE BREAK

3:00 – 345 PM: KEYNOTE 2: Ross MacDonald, Lake Alma, Saskatchewan

“Ranching Awkwardly & Loving It!”

As the ranch has grown, so too has our perspective on our place in these grassland ecosystems. For thousands of years the grasslands of North America have been a place of movement, trade, commerce, food, seasonal rhythms and human-grazer interactions; having the opportunity to be a part of those time-tested interactions and embracing the opportunity to share these spaces and experiences with other humans has benefited us greatly. I am confident that the future holds fulfilling opportunities as we continue to learn to embrace the awkwardness.

3:45 – 3:55 PM: Q&A with Ross

4:00 – 4:45 PM: Keynote 3: Dr. Jaden Dobson, ND, Manitou, Manitoba

“The Intersection of Regenerative Agriculture and Human Health”

Dr. Jayden Dobson, ND is a Naturopathic Doctor based in Manitou, caring for patients throughout Manitoba. Her clinical practice focuses on prevention and improving health outcomes using an individualized approach. Through patient care, public speaking, and community workshops, she translates health science into practical education to help people better understand and support their well-being.

4:45 – 5:00 PM: Q&A

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: TRADE SHOW: Free Time: Refresh & Recharge

DAY ONE: November 12 EVENING: MFGA NIGHT

5:30– 6:45 PM: ICE-BREAKER EVENT –Let MFGA buy you dinner: Mingle, mix & join us for cocktail hour before that and enjoy a casual buffet-style dinner at 6:00 pm.

6:45– 7:15 pm: MFGA NIGHT KICK OFF: MFGA WELCOME: Duncan Morrison, MFGA Executive Director.

Minister Welcome
RBC Community Grant Announcement
MAW PWCP Update
Land Up Update
Wall of Fame

7:15 – 8:00 pm: feature Keynote 4: Jason Mauck, Gaston, Indiana, USA

Presentation Summary: “Farm Weird – and for Good Reason”

Jason Mauck is a farmer from Gaston, Indiana who has coined the term, “Farm Weird” - and for good reason. Jason’s passion for pushing the envelope of what is traditionally accepted in agriculture is contagious. As an early adopter of relay cropping, Jason has learned through years of experimentation. This has evolved into integrating grazing livestock to enrich the soil. Never one to stop pushing forward, Jason’s current projects include planning and creating a modern farm that combines relay cropping and livestock grazing, while continuing to push for changes in policy to allow more people to feel comfortable “farming weird”.

8:00 pm – 8:15 pm: Q&A Jason Mauck

8:15 PM: day 1 concludes.

DAY 2: Tuesday November 10, 2026

7:00 – 9:00 AM: Breakfast on your own

8:00 – 8:30 AM: TRADESHOW & REGISTRATION

8:30 AM: WELCOME: Duncan Morrison, MFGA Executive Director: Land Acknowledgement.

8:35 AM: ZACK KOSCIELNY, MFGA CHAIR: INTRODUCTIONS/TODAY’S AGENDA: MASTER OF CEREMONIES

8:40 AM: WELCOME DIGNITARIES: To Be Determined

8:45 AM-9:30 AM: KEYNOTE 5: Antonio José Piñeros Lara, Colombia: “Flowing with Natural Power”

Antonio José Piñeros Lara is a fourth-generation Colombian cattle rancher and a leading voice in regenerative livestock systems in Latin America. As a founder of the Tamalá and Tierraleja Private Bioreserves, Antonio integrates cattle production with biodiversity conservation. A pioneer in introducing Holistic Management, Voisin Rational Grazing (PRV), and regenerative beef production to the Colombian tropics, he directs multiple Angus and Brangus genetic herds under full-cycle, animal-welfare-focused operations.

9:30 – 9:40 AM: Q&A

9:45-10:45 Am: Feature Panel: The Framework for Tracking Economic Growth

Moderator: Brenda Tjaden, Oakbank, Manitoba: Brenda Tjaden is a food and agriculture market economist, tracking structural changes and financial shifts that affect farmland management decisions. She's also building a pastured-meat wholesale business with her son, and a brand-new sheep, goat and chicken operation at Stony Hill Farm, her property near Oakbank. She joined the board of MFGA last fall.

Panelist: Karel Stroebel, Saskatchewan: Born in South Africa and having spent most of his adult life in the United Kingdom, Karel brings a unique blend of international experience and strategic thinking to agriculture. With a background in economics and investment banking, he was introduced to farming by his Canadian better half — transforming what was once a “city boy” perspective into a passion for agricultural innovation.

Approaching farming differently from traditional models, Karel focuses on developing practical solutions that strengthen and protect farming operations. This thinking led to the introduction of Captive Insurance solutions for agriculture, designed to help farmers better manage risk and build long-term resilience.

Panelist: Anna Hunter, Eastern Manitoba, Treaty One Territory: Anna Hunter is a first - generation sheep farmer and wool mill owner in Eastern Manitoba, Treaty One Territory. She is passionate about building community and connecting rural fibre farmers with urban consumers, fibre artists, and crafters. Anna believes that regenerative agriculture and climate-beneficial food and clothing are integral to moving forward as farmers fibre artists and Manitobans, and she is passionate about growing a vibrant Canadian wool industry. Her first book Sheep, Shepherd and Land, came out in 2023. And her Bestselling book The True Cost of Wool released in June 2025.

Panelist: Adam Pukalo, Winnipeg, MB: Adam Pukalo is the lead Portfolio Manager with Pukalo Prairie Wealth Group at Harbourfront Wealth Management. Since 2010, Adam and his team have specialized in working with grain and livestock operations across the Prairies on financial planning strategies. Their focus is to shield wealth from taxes, create an investment portfolio to meet client goals, and ensure a proper farm estate plan is in place.

10:45 – 11:15 AM: Coffee and trade show

11:15-12:00 PM: KEYNOTE 6: Harold Perry, Alberta: “Our Journey: Soils, Crops, and Practices”

Harold has been attending soil health conferences with a network of likeminded agriculture enthusiasts he met through his Nuffield scholarship travel. Harold’s Nuffield scholarship was like a sabbatical from the day-to-day farming routine and a breath of fresh farm air. His Nuffield topic is “Healthy soils for Healthy crops for a healthier population.” This invigorated Harold on his journey to create resilience and health in his soils through diversity in cover crops, crop rotation, tillage intelligence, and soil amendments.

12 noon – 12:10: Q&A with Harold Perry

12:15 – 1:30 PM: LUNCH, TRADE SHOW, NETWORKING

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Keynote Korner: Everything you wanted to ask but didn’t: Bringing back the keynote experts for a free for all session with your questions and their expertise.

Roving microphones, moderator…

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: conference ending session & discussion: What we heard: Zack Koscielny: WRAP-UP , silent auction.

Our early bird ends Oct 13, 2026!! Register now!!

September 2026 MFGA eBulletin is now available.

This month features a message from Executive Director Duncan Morrison on the 2026 Regenerative Agriculture Conference, Manitoba's Crown land forage-lease rate freeze, Ross MacDonald featured on the Ranching Returns podcast, Ducks Unlimited Canada's new CEO, our September 29 AGM, upcoming events, and more. Read the full bulletin: here

Six Manitoba grassroots producer groups unify on interests, hopes and ambitions for national agriculture soil health strategy

Direct Farm Manitoba, Holistic Management Canada, MFGA, Manitoba Organic Alliance, Regeneration Canada, and Young Agrarians have released a joint response to the potential National Agricultural Soil Health Strategy from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, ensuring Manitoba's grassroots producer voices are represented and unified.

Learn more: Read the full response

MFGA Aquanty Model Study

New MFGA Aquanty Model study forecasts climate impacts to 2050 and 2100 across three Manitoba watersheds: rising temps, declining snowpack, and dropping groundwater storage. Healthy grasslands are a key adaptation strategy. Read more here