Tannis Axten

Tannis Axten runs Axten Farms, a 4000 hectare regenerative grain farm near Minton, Saskatchewan, with her husband, Derek. Their guiding principle is “Loyal to the Soil.” Her interest in the life beneath their crops, supported by her Bachelor of Education with a major in Biology, has led her to examine the farm’s compost extracts under a microscope and explore how healthy soil can help them grow better food..

Tannis cares deeply about the connection between soil, food and people’s health. She and her family have built a food-grade grain cleaning plant, flour mill and packaging line on the farm. They now sell traceable whole-grain flours, including Red Fife, spelt and einkorn. For Tannis, selling flour is also a way to help customers see the care that went into growing it. As she has put it, customers are “investing in their health and the health of the ecosystem.” In 2023, Axten Farms became the first farm in Canada to receive Regenified certification.

Tannis speaks openly about the challenge of finding markets that recognise the value of their farming practices and products. She has served on the board of Regeneration Canada. Together with Derek, she was named one of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2017 and co-founded Horizons Agriculture, a two-day gathering on their working farm.