Helpful resources to get you started

Successful Production Practices

Crop husbandry, and in turn, weed management are processes that begin long before the crop is seeded. Successful organic farming involves choosing appropriate crops and cultivars, and focusing on soil fertility.

Nutrient Budgeting App

Whether you are an organic producer, transitioning to organic production, or a conventional producer wanting to better understand how legumes in your rotation can help you reduce synthetic nitrogen use, the Nutrient Budgeting App will help you understand the efficiency and flow of nutrients in your fields.

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Fact Sheets

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Helpful Videos

Visit the Pivot and Grow YouTube channel to see what organic grain production can do for you! As we change our perspective, the world around us changes. New insights, more opportunities, and bigger successes all start with a small shift – a pivotal moment. This is what transitioning to organics is all about: taking incremental steps to make a meaningful impact.

Organic Agronomist Training

There is a growing demand for organic grain production information from farmers in the Prairies. This training program, with Dr. Martin Entz, gives agronomists and agrologists the information they need to support and guide organic growers.

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Weeds: The First Emergence

Pivot and Grow

Learn how weeds can tell you a lot about soil life. 

Grain Quality: From Producer to Consumer

Pivot and Grow

Find out how you can ensure the quality of your grains.

The Organic Ratio: Eyes Per Acre

Pivot and Grow

Learn how you can get to know your organic farm.

How to Produce High Quality Organic Grain

Pivot and Grow

Listen to a grain buyer share how you can produce high quality grains.

The Importance of Understanding Cost of Production

Pivot and Grow

Find out how you can measure and maintain your cost of production in organic production.

Planning Crop Rotations: The Diversity is What Makes You

Pivot and Grow

Learn how you can maintain soil fertility and manage weeds through crop rotation. 

Intercropping: Utilizing Every Acre More Efficiently

Pivot and Grow

Learn about the benefits of intercropping on organic farms.

Strategies for Successful & Sustainable Weed Management

Pivot and Grow

Listen to two producers discuss the best ways to manage weeds.

Building Soil Fertility

It all starts with building healthy soil. Successful organic farming is based on using carefully planned multi-year crop rotations and boosting soil organic matter with green manuring and adding compost.

Green Manure Tool Kit

Soil fertility is a primary factor influencing the yield and quality of organic crops and a key to the sustainability of organic farms. Green manures, planted primarily for the purpose of improving soil fertility, are a critical management strategy for Prairie organic farmers. Check out this practical guide to growing green manures.

Use the Tool Kit

Soil Health & Organic Farming Reports

Organic Farming Research Foundation

Resources for building soil health in organic farming.

Soils & Fertility

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Resources on soil and nutrient management in organic production.

How to Take Soil & Plant Tissue Samples

Grain on the Brain

Learn about taking soil and plant tissue samples and how it can inform management decisions on your farm.

Soil Carbon Intro

Rural Routes to Climate Solutions

Podcast speakers take you through the process of soil carbon sequestration and explain the impact it can have on agriculture and climate change.

Soil Biology

Rural Routes to Climate Solutions

Soil organisms work together as a community breaking down organic matter above ground and converting it into the carbon that is a key element in soil health and fertility.

Soil Microbial Interactions & Organic Farming

Organic Farming Research Foundation

This resource explores the role of microorganisms in creating healthy soil ecosystems that benefit organic farms.

Measures of Soil & Biological Activity

eOrganic

Learn a variety of ways that biological activity is measured in soils. 

Guide to Soil Invertebrates

Massey University

This guide helps with identification of invertebrates by pointing out distinctive characteristics of various invertebrate groups.

Reducing Tillage With Martin Entz

Peace Country Beef & Forage Association​

Martin Entz shares how to reduce tillage in an organic system.

Livestock Integration With Ward Middleton

Peace Country Beef & Forage Association

Explore integrating livestock into an organic system with Ward Middleton.

Building Organic Matter for Healthy Soils

eOrganic

Learn about the attributes of healthy soil, the central role of organic matter, and how to monitor and enhance soil health in organic production.

Nutrient Management for Crops, Soil & The Environment

eOrganic

Four farmers at the OFCM lead transition workshop at Manitoba Ag Days talk about how they maintain fertility.

Scum Test

Regenerative Alberta Living Lab

Learn how to test soil samples to look at the production of scum on the water surface, and how quickly and how much of the sample breaks apart.

Soil Clod Test

Regenerative Alberta Living Lab

If soil structure is not very stable and easily falls apart upon getting wet, then the soil will not be able to maintain functions. This is what is happening when water pools on the surface or is referred to as crusting. The test will illustrate if your soil will fall apart easily or retain its structure.

Managing Weeds

It’s true that weed management is probably the biggest challenge faced by organic producers. While an organic field will never be 100% weed-free, the organic approach involves a suite of techniques to prevent weeds from adversely affecting crop yields.

A Systems Approach to Organic Agricultural Production 

This training is intended to challenge readers to critically evaluate their farm resources, map their farming operation in order to better visualize the farm as a system including the many connections, and strengthen their adaptive learning capacity. 

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Weed Management in Organic Crop Systems

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

Resource provides multiple weed management and avoidance techniques.

Weed Management Resources

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

General organic weed management resources including specific practices and research.

Organic Weed Management

This YouTube video discusses mechanical weed control in organic pulse crops.

Weed Management: Literature Search

Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, 1998

Report by Brenda Frick on the principles of weed management. 

Novel Cultural & Mechanical Weed Control for Flax

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Production of both conventional and organic flax is difficult because, of all major field crops grown in western Canada, flax is the least competitive with weeds.

Exploring Direct Seeding Options for Organic Grains

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Research report comparing weed density in spelt fall-seeded on flax with mixed crop stubble into tilled or direct seeded plots.

Weed, Disease & Grain Yield Effects of Cultivar Mixtures

Canadian Journal of Plant Science

Four wheat cultivars were assessed in organically managed monocultures and mixtures to discern if mixtures provided a benefit to grain yield and disease and weed suppression.

Variety and Seed Rate Effects on Competition

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Research results comparing seeding rates of direct crop varieties on weed control.

Designing Crop Rotations

Planning multi-year crop rotations is part of effectively managing weeds and building soil fertility in an organic system.

Manitoba Grazing Exchange

Are you a grain or livestock producer? Check out this resource to develop grazing arrangements in your area! The map displays markers representing contract grazers with herds for hire, as well as locations available for grazing. 

Use the Map

Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual

SARE, 2009

This manual provides an in-depth review of the applications of crop rotation-including improving soil quality and health, and managing pests, diseases, and weeds.

Systems Design for Soil Fertility

Joanne Thiessen Martens, University of Manitoba

Joanne Thiessen Martens, part of the Natural Systems Farming team at the University of Manitoba discusses what can be done to manage nutrients on organic farms in Manitoba.

Crop Rotation & Wheat Nutrient Content: Glenlea

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

This study compares the nutritional quality of organic and conventional produce to determine the role of crop rotation on nutrients.

Organic Risk Management: Crop Rotation

Canadian Journal of Plant Science

The benefits of a well-planned rotation include lower disease and insect risk, improved soil structure and fertility, increased biological activity in soil, and better economic risk management.

Natural Systems Agriculture on the Canadian Prairies

Western Canadian Organic Webinar Series

A recorded webinar with Dr. Martin Entz on strategies for designing your organic farming system. 

Resources on Crop Rotation in Organic Systems

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Resources on various aspects of crop rotation in organic systems.

Systems Design for Weed Management

Brenda Frick

Brenda Frick discusses systems design for weed management on organic farms.

Forage U-Pick

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

An interactive forage species selection tool for Western Canada.

Cover Crops, Green Manures & Intercropping

Effectively integrating cover crops, green manures, and intercropping in your rotation design helps to manage weeds and build diversity and soil fertility.

Optimizing the Nitrogen Supply

Natural Systems Agriculture, University of Manitoba

A series of field experiments were established to identify green manure species and management options to maximize N benefit and explore the opportunities to reduce tillage during the green manure phase of an organic rotation.

Cultivar Mixtures, Cover Crops & Intercropping with Organic Spring Wheat

Natural Systems Agriculture, University of Manitoba

Without the option of chemical control, weeds and diseases can become obstacles to successful crop production. 

Cover Crops & Green Manures

Natural Systems Agriculture, University of Manitoba

Green manure crops are cover crops grown specifically to replenish the soil system, typically with N, but also P and other nutrients. 

Intercropping in Organic Production

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

Get practical resources and scientific results on intercropping in organic production.

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