Plant scientist seeks to embed natural systems principles in cropping systems
From Red Seal chef to low‑input agriculture researcher, Michelle Carkner’s path has been shaped by a deep curiosity about how food is grown and how agricultural systems can work more in harmony with nature.
Carkner joined the Department of Plant Science as Assistant Professor in Natural Systems Agriculture on February 1, 2026.
Her research explores how deliberately designed functional crop and livestock diversity can strengthen Prairie cropping systems. As a teacher, she seeks to engage students in holistic, systems‑level thinking about sustainable Canadian agriculture. Learn more about her path to the the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences.
I have a BSc (Agr.) from the University of Guelph and an MSc and PhD from the University of Manitoba. Between my MSc and my PhD degrees I worked as the coordinator for a participatory plant breeding program where I had a lot of opportunity to work with farmers across Canada and different research institutions. Most recently I was the Director of Research and Partnerships of the multi-disciplinary UM LEAP project. In that role I worked with faculty and industry partners to ensure the research matched with industry goals. I also worked and continue to work on a holistic rangeland management project in Zimbabwe with Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, and my first career interest was in the culinary arts. I completed a diploma program and ultimately got my Red Seal. During that time, I worked with a chef in Toronto who was one of the pioneers of the Slow Food movement in Canada. Chatting with local farmers and distributors when accepting deliveries was my first exposure into agriculture. I was also heavily influenced by a trip to Kenya when I was 19. I wanted to understand every facet of growing food, and specifically how to do it without the use of external inputs. During my undergraduate experience, my major was in organic agronomy, but I also took courses related to international development and tropical agriculture. Although I worked quite a bit in organic horticulture crops, I was drawn to low-input field crops research, so I moved to Manitoba to pursue graduate studies, and the rest is history!
I am seeking to explore how natural systems principles—especially functional crop and livestock diversity—can be deliberately designed into Prairie cropping systems to improve stability, efficiency, and ecosystem services specifically considering the increased environmental stressors caused by climate change. The unifying idea is that diversity is most powerful when it is functional: the specific traits of plants, animals, and associated biota that fill ecological niches and drive outcomes like efficient nutrient cycling and production resilience.
I plan to teach Organic Crop Production on the Prairies in the diploma and degree programs in the Fall and Winter semesters of 2026 and 2027. I love the engagement with students through course material, and I think organic crop production provides a ‘gateway’ into thinking about our agroecosystems from a completely different perspective. I love listening to diverse perspectives on how we view agricultural systems – which ultimately impact the production practices we carry out on farms. I also think it is a privilege to be able to train and engage with the next generation of Canadian agriculture.
I have two small kiddos, so they keep me busy! When I’m not chasing them, I love gardening and hiking. If you come out to our research plots, you may spot my dog, Olivia, keeping me company.
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