Improving Soil Health on a Southern Saskatchewan Grain Farm
- Apr 1
- 10 min read
What happens when a southern Saskatchewan grain farm decides to be “loyal to the soil” and to its community at the same time? Minton‑area farmer Tannis Axten recently shared her story at the Soil Health Conference and webinar, exploring how soil biology, diverse cropping, and human networks work together to build resilience from the field level right through to rural communities and local food systems. This article draws on both of those presentations and is especially relevant for grain producers, mixed farmers, and agronomists across the Prairies who are looking for practical ways to improve water use, reduce inputs, and strengthen their local communities.
Tannis Axten farms with her family at Axten Farms near Minton, Saskatchewan, where they focus on regenerative practices such as disc drill seeding, diverse crop rotations, compost extracts, and integrated grazing to build soil biology and water-holding capacity. Axten Farms also operates an on-farm seed cleaning plant and flour mill, offering regeneratively grown grains and whole‑grain flour direct from the farm.
Key Takeaways
Healthy soil communities need protection, food, and diversity—keeping soil covered, maintaining living roots, and adding biological foods or compost extracts can dramatically improve soil function and resilience in dry southern Saskatchewan conditions.
Diverse plant communities (intercrops, pollinator strips, companion and perennial crops) help spread risk, support beneficial insects, and feed soil biology longer, which is critical where moisture is limited.
Integrating livestock—whether your own herd or through partnerships with neighbours—is one of the most powerful ways to return biology and nutrients to cropland while mimicking natural Prairie ecosystems.
Farmer‑to‑farmer and rural community networks (such as SaskSoil, field days, and local initiatives like “Farming for the Future”) provide support, shared learning, and funding that make it easier to try new soil health practices.
Direct marketing and value‑added processing (on‑farm seed cleaning and flour milling) can connect soil health practices to consumer demand, open niche markets, and keep more economic value in rural Saskatchewan communities.
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of this article for answers on how to start building soil biology on your farm.
From Soil to Society: Axten Farms’ Story of Building Community and Soil Biology
Why soil health became the focus
Farming in a dry climate near Minton, SK, the Axtens were already long‑time no‑tillers when they realized it still wasn’t enough to capture and hold precious rainfall. After big thunderstorms, they were still watching water run off instead of soaking in, despite low disturbance seeding. That concern for moisture triggered a deeper look underground.
Tannis took Dr. Elaine Ingham’s “Life in Soils” course, which opened her eyes to the complexity of soil biology and the role of microbes, fungi, and higher organisms in nutrient cycling and water infiltration. The farm began spending more time digging holes, looking at roots, and using a microscope to assess biological life instead of relying solely on traditional soil tests.
Benchmarking and learning from the microscope
Using the microscope, Tannis repeatedly saw the same pattern: healthy plants with vigorous roots were associated with highly diverse, active biology in the root zone, while bare or weak areas had far less diversity. She also saw how quickly conditions could shift biology—for example, a compost extract left without aeration for a few hours suddenly favoured anaerobic organisms. These observations reinforced the idea that management is really about managing conditions for life, not just adding products.
Building Soil Communities: Principles in Practice
Is the biology already there, or do we need to add it?
Tannis frames soil communities through two schools of thought she encounters:
All the biology you need is already in the soil—you just need to create an environment where it can thrive.
Years of tillage or high input use can significantly reduce that biology, so some organisms may need to be reintroduced.
On Axten Farms, they assume both can be true and manage accordingly.
Creating a thriving environment for soil life
Key strategies they use to support existing soil biology include:
Keeping soil covered with residue, cover crops, or companion species to protect against erosion and temperature extremes.
Maintaining living roots as many days of the year as possible to continuously feed soil microbes.
Using disc drill seeding to minimize disturbance and retain moisture in a dry southern Saskatchewan climate.
Applying “biological foods” (such as molasses‑type products or other microbe foods) to stimulate the soil food web.
These practices align closely with the soil health principles SaskSoil promotes province‑wide: limiting disturbance, protecting the soil surface, building diversity, and keeping a living root.
Adding biology back: compost, extracts, and animals
To actively “put life back,” the Axtens use:
Compost, applied directly to fields or targeted to problem spots (like saline areas).
Compost extracts brewed on‑farm and applied in‑furrow or across fields to act like a probiotic, moving biology from the compost into the soil.
Grazing with a neighbour’s cattle herd on cropland and cover crops, returning nutrients and biology to the soil surface in a way that mimics Prairie grassland systems.
They see strong contrasts between their long‑managed home farm, which has received compost extracts and intensive soil health management, and a newer farm that has not yet had that biology “boost,” illustrating how cumulative these practices can be over time.
Learn more about the Johnson-Su Bioreactor - a no-turn composting system that produces a superior, microbially-diverse and fungal-dominant compost.
Plant Communities: Diversity Aboveground to Support Life Below
Why plant diversity matters
Looking at natural systems, you almost never see one plant species growing alone. Instead, you see communities of plants with different functions: some fix nitrogen, some access deeper water, some protect the surface, and some attract insects. In a variable Prairie climate, with unpredictable moisture and temperature, that diversity spreads risk and increases resilience.
On Axten Farms, this means moving well beyond a three‑ or four‑crop rotation and experimenting with:
Intercropping cereals with peas for on‑farm nitrogen fixation.
Pollinator strips seeded around crops to attract beneficial insects and predators.
Companion crops like red clover under cereals, which keep living roots growing after harvest.
Perennials such as grass mixes on poorer fields and newer crops like khorasan (a perennial intermediate wheatgrass).
Intercropping, pollinator strips, and companion crops
Examples from the farm include:
A seven‑variety spring wheat blend intercropped with peas, where peas provide nitrogen and the blend adds genetic and functional diversity.
Pollinator strips along field edges that are buzzing with beneficial insects, providing biological pest control and strengthening ecosystem balance.
Companion seeding red clover beneath cash crops so that after harvest, the clover continues to photosynthesize and feed soil microbes, extending the “green season.”
These plant communities don’t just support soil life—they create visible changes in field ecology, including more beneficial insects and more stable yields across variable seasons.
Perennials and khorasan for long‑term cover
The Axtens have also started incorporating more perennials to rehabilitate weaker fields and provide continuous cover. One path is simply taking inefficient or awkwardly shaped fields out of annual cropping and into perennial grass mixes. Another is khorasan, a perennial wheatgrass that is allowed to establish in year one and then harvested in subsequent years using a stripper header so most of the biomass stays standing.
This approach aims at the “holy grail” scenario of harvesting a crop without re‑disturbing the soil each year, while providing long‑term roots and cover in soils that need extra care.
Integrating Livestock: Biology on Four Legs
Even though Axten Farms no longer runs its own cattle herd, Tannis emphasizes that livestock are “the answer for everything” when it comes to soil biology. By partnering with a neighbour who brings large groups of cattle onto the farm to graze, they are able to:
Cycle nutrients from plants back into the soil through manure and urine.
Trample residue to speed up decomposition and build organic matter.
Stimulate plant regrowth and root turnover, which feeds soil biology.
For farms that don’t want to manage their own herd, she encourages exploring partnerships with neighbours, recognizing that livestock integration is a big commitment but offers outsized soil benefits in Prairie systems.
Human Communities: From Farm Teams to Rural Towns
Finding community in soil health circles
The shift to regenerative practices can feel isolating at first, especially when neighbours question new equipment, strange crop mixes, or unharvested cover crops. For the Axtens, travelling to U.S. soil health conferences and connecting with other farmers experimenting with similar ideas provided a sense of belonging and encouragement to keep going.
In Saskatchewan, joining SaskSoil events and soil health conferences helped them find a local network of producers serious about soil, field‑scale experimentation, and knowledge sharing. These communities are not competitive; they are collaborative, with farmers cheering each other on and genuinely wanting to see others succeed.
“Farming for the Future”: a community investment fund
Beyond the farm gate, Tannis and Derek co‑founded “Farming for the Future,” a community initiative that uses a 90‑acre field to raise funds for local capital projects. The model works like this:
Local businesses (chemical companies, equipment dealers, other ag suppliers) donate cash or inputs.
Local farmers donate field operations such as seeding, spraying, and harvest.
The land is rented from a nearby farmer on a highly visible location near Gladmar, with sponsor signs along the highway.
The Rural Municipality (RM) administers the fund, issues tax receipts, and manages applications.
Community groups apply for support for capital expenditures like pool decks, building repairs, or upgrades. Initially, people were hesitant to ask for help, but as the fund proved itself, applications increased and the fund became a reliable source of support. The project can generate tens of thousands of dollars per year, bringing outside money into the community without relying on the same small group of local donors.
Building opportunities, not just preserving services
The Axtens also see value‑added processing as community development, not just farm diversification. By building a seed cleaning plant and food‑grade flour mill, they have:
Created jobs in their rural area.
Provided reasons for people—especially younger generations—to stay or move back.
Strengthened the local tax base and community resilience.
Rather than accepting the narrative that “kids have to move away because there are no opportunities,” they aim to build a future where rural communities can grow instead of decline.
Connecting Producers and Consumers
A key theme for Tannis is reconnecting farmers and eaters. She notes that the gap between production and consumption has widened, even as more consumers express interest in local, sustainable food. Hosting events in their warehouse and welcoming people to the farm to see the soil, crops, seed cleaning plant, and flour mill helps close that loop.
The farm now sells regeneratively grown grains and whole‑grain flour through:
Direct sales at the farm.
Locally owned retail outlets in communities like Saskatoon, Regina, Weyburn, and Estevan.
Tannis often encourages people to come to the farm for pickup so they can see the full story behind the flour they are buying.
Trying New Practices: Trials, Rotations, and Risk Management
Crop rotation guided by soil needs and markets
Instead of a rigid rotation, Axten Farms plans fields based on:
What the soil needs (e.g., following low‑carbon legumes with high‑residue cereals to rebuild cover).
What can be marketed profitably that year.
In a recent season they grew 16 different crops, which is a lot to manage but spreads agronomic and market risk. Cover is always prioritized, especially after legumes that leave less residue, and cover crops or perennials are used where possible to keep soil protected.
Equipment and seeding strategies
A major “aha” moment came when the Axtens invested in disc drills to reduce disturbance and improve water infiltration. That decision, combined with exposure to speakers like Dwayne Beck and Gabe Brown, accelerated their shift into soil health, intercropping, and greater diversity.
They continue to experiment with:
Seeding into standing rye cover versus terminating it ahead of time, depending on spring moisture.
Varying seeding rates and crop mixes.
Companion crops and timing of terminations to balance cover and moisture use.
Compost, extracts, and priorities
After a couple of years without making compost due to labour constraints, they are prioritizing compost and compost extracts again, especially for newer land that hasn’t yet received biological amendments. Tannis notes that compost extract applications on the home farm gave a noticeable “boost,” and she expects similar benefits on newly acquired fields.
Conclusion
Tannis Axten’s story shows that the “power of community” starts in the soil but doesn’t end there: it extends through plant diversity, livestock, farmer networks, and rural towns that choose to invest in their future. By focusing on biology, relationships, and shared purpose, Prairie producers can streamline water use, reduce inputs, and improve soil health for more resilient farms and communities over time.
To dive deeper into Tannis’s experience and hear directly from her, watch the full webinar recording on our YouTube channel and explore SaskSoil’s growing resource library and farmer‑to‑farmer learning program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I start building soil biology on my own Saskatchewan farm?
Begin with practices that protect and feed the soil year‑round: minimize disturbance, keep the ground covered with residue or cover crops, and maintain living roots as long as your growing season allows. From there, consider adding biological foods (such as molasses‑type products) to stimulate existing microbes and explore compost or compost extracts if you can source or make high‑quality material. Integrating livestock—either your own herd or a partnership with a neighbour—can rapidly accelerate biological activity and organic matter gains.
Do I need to add compost or is protecting the soil enough?
It depends on your history and goals. If your fields have a long history of tillage and high input use, there is a good chance that key parts of the soil food web have been reduced. In that case, improving habitat (cover, roots, moisture, and low disturbance) is essential, but adding biology via compost or compost extracts can act like a probiotic to jump‑start recovery. If your soils are already active and well‑structured, focusing on habitat may be sufficient, and you can use a microscope or simple field indicators (root health, aggregation, infiltration) to guide your decisions.
How do intercropping and pollinator strips fit into a busy grain operation?
Intercropping and pollinator strips add complexity, but they also add resilience and new benefits. On Axten Farms, cereals intercropped with peas provide in‑field nitrogen, while pollinator strips around fields support beneficial insects and biological pest control. Management can be simplified by focusing on a few core pairings that work well in your equipment and marketing system, and by placing pollinator strips along accessible field edges. Over time, these plant communities can improve soil health, yield stability, and ecosystem balance with relatively modest extra passes.
What if I don’t have livestock—can I still improve my soil?
Yes. Many soil health gains are possible through cropping practices alone: zero or low‑till seeding, diverse rotations, cover crops, and careful nutrient management. However, livestock integration is a powerful accelerator, so if you can partner with a neighbour who has cattle, grazing cover crops or annuals can significantly increase nutrient cycling and organic matter. Clear agreements, good fencing and water infrastructure, and a shared goal of building soil health are critical for making those partnerships work smoothly.
How do I start a community project like “Farming for the Future”?
Start by identifying a visible piece of land that can be dedicated to the project and a small steering group of farmers and community members. Approach local ag businesses and suppliers for input or cash donations, and work with your RM or another non‑profit to administer funds and issue tax receipts. Develop clear criteria for projects (e.g., capital expenditures for community buildings or recreation) and a simple application process so people understand how decisions are made. Begin small, communicate successes widely, and be patient—communities often need time to get comfortable asking for help.
Can regenerative practices really add value to my grain or flour?
Evidence from farms like Axten Farms suggests that regenerative practices can improve nutrient density and functional properties of grains and flour, as well as offer strong traceability and local story value. While premiums are still emerging, farmers are seeing demand from consumers and buyers who value chemical‑free, regeneratively grown products and are willing to pay more when the story and quality are clear. Certification programs like Regenified, along with SaskSoil’s emphasis on documenting beneficial management practices, can support these claims for markets and policy.
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