Root and Regenerate Urban Farming

Root and Regenerate Urban Farming works on the principles of regenerative agriculture to reduce atmospheric carbon through practices that result in a net positive carbon sequestration in soil.
This is done through the thoughtful and careful management of natural systems involved in vegetable and fruit production. By cultivating the bacterial and fungal communities in the soil and supporting a system wherein these communities can thrive, we are able to increase the carbon content of our soil while producing healthy and nutrient rich food without the use of synthetic inputs. Our practices and management strategies include but are not limited to: “no till,” soil coverings, root retention, and the exclusion of synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides.
The management and practices we employ go beyond carbon sequestration and work toward improving ecosystem health at large. Some ways we do this are by creating and sustaining pollinator and insect bio-diverse habitats, reducing pollution from long distance food transport, reduced water consumption through efficient irrigation, and providing local affordable food grown with not only sustainable, but regenerative practices.

Company History

Root and Regenerate Urban Farms (formerly known as Dirtboys) was founded by Dennis Scanland (in 2017) : a past president of YYC Growers and Distributors, and current operator of SunnyCider. He took his love of gardening and spending time with his two boys and made it his job.
Originally a fairly small business which operated on a few back yards growing vegetables for sales at markets. Eventually it joined with a number of other urban and rural farms to create the YYC Growers and Distributors cooperative. During the time Dennis managed the farm it was part farm, part garden building/landscaping with a heavy emphasis on garden building/landscaping in the first half of the season.

In 2020 Michael Gavin took over and has been running the business. Since taking over the business has expanded to over double the production space, increased revenue and join the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program and trained 3 new farmers over the years. The business is now primarily agriculture based operating on 10 properties including a roof top of an apartment building (the Grow building).

R&R farms is one of the three remaining original urban farms in Calgary. Which first started with around 8. Other farms have started and grown in the city some of whom we work with.

Company Facts

We are the largest (production space) urban farm in Calgary.
We are one of the longest running urban farms in Calgary.
We are the first roof top farm in Calgary.