Relay Cropping in Action: Regenerative Systems at Silver Spruce Farms
- communications8404
- Aug 8, 2024
- 2 min read
In early August, producers gathered at Silver Spruce Farms for a hands-on field day hosted by the Lakeland Agricultural Research Association (LARA). The event was more than just a walk through the field—it was an invitation to experience, question, and learn from practices that are pushing the boundaries of conventional cropping systems.
The focus of the day: relay cropping and integrated soil health management, as demonstrated by Phil Amyotte on his operation just outside of Bonnyville, Alberta.
Seeing Soil Health in Real Time
The field tour centered on a barley silage crop that had been under seeded to perennial ryegrass—a strategy designed to maintain living roots in the soil as long as possible. After silage harvest, Phil had overseeded with silage oats and tillage radish, effectively layering productivity and ecological function in the same space.
This kind of relay cropping—where one crop is established before another is finished—is a key regenerative strategy. It ensures minimal bare ground, helps suppress weeds, and supports microbial life with continuous root exudates. The oats and radish provide late-season forage and root structure, while the ryegrass persists as a perennial base, enhancing soil cover and stability year-round.
A highlight of the day was a water infiltration test conducted right in the field. Attendees got their hands dirty assessing how quickly water was absorbed into the soil, a visual and visceral reminder of how healthy soils function like sponges. Each producer also took home a water infiltration test kit, offering the chance to carry this learning back to their own operations.
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Pasture Watering Systems: Practical Innovation
In addition to the field cropping demonstration, Phil shared a tour of two off-site watering systems he uses in pasture settings: one solar-powered, and one pressure-based. These systems are not only about convenience—they’re about keeping livestock out of surface water bodies, reducing erosion, nutrient loading, and ensuring better animal health.
Producers appreciated the candid discussion of the pros and cons of each setup. Seeing them in operation offered a rare glimpse into how infrastructure decisions can support broader land stewardship goals.
Why These Practices Matter
Phil’s approach—relay cropping, underseeding, multispecies covers, and perennial integration—aligns closely with regenerative agriculture principles:
Minimal soil disturbance
Diverse species rotations
Continuous live roots
Covered soil
Integrating livestock
By underseeding perennial ryegrass and following up with cover crops like oats and tillage radish, he’s effectively building organic matter, improving water infiltration, and fostering soil microbial communities. All of these contribute directly to carbon sequestration, as carbon is stored not only in plant biomass but in soil organic matter stabilized by root systems and microbial interactions.
Walking the Talk
Events like this field day offer more than information—they offer community and validation. Seeing regenerative practices in action helps bridge the gap between theory and application. They remind us that innovation often starts with a willingness to experiment, observe, and adapt.
Silver Spruce Farms may not look like a textbook regenerative operation—but that’s the point. It’s real, it's working, and it’s rooted in the realities of northern Alberta agriculture. And that’s where change starts.
If you are interested in putting in offsite watering systems
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