Optimizing returns: Farmers advancing impact and profitability through water stewardship in Manitoba

This case study describes how farmers in southern Manitoba are using water stewardship practices to improve both environmental outcomes and farm profitability in response to nutrient runoff affecting Lake Winnipeg. It explains that a collective of Prairie-based organizations, agribusinesses, and four farms covering more than 45,000 acres came together to test how practices such as reduced tillage, precision agriculture, crop rotation, and restoration of wetlands and other natural areas can create value for farmers and the broader public. Nutrien’s role is highlighted through its Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes program, which provides outcomes-based payments tied to greenhouse gas reductions from improved nitrogen fertilizer management. The report says the project generated an average of $6,900 per acre in public ecosystem-service value and identified a potential $33 per acre return to farmers through regional carbon-market values, while also increasing awareness and uptake of water stewardship across the farming community. A key lesson is that stronger government participation is important for scaling these efforts, particularly through funding, extension support, and better alignment with public programs.