TORONTO — McCain Foods will partner with four additional Innovation Hub farms to expand its network across North America.

The hubs will be established on potato farms in Alberta, Wisconsin and Maine alongside a fourth hub on an onion farm in Idaho. The farms join already established research hubs in Idaho, Washington and Manitoba.

McCain’s Innovation Hub farms, which began as regionally accessible extensions of its Farms of the Future project for studying regenerative agriculture, are commercial-scale research trials tested locally in growing regions for learning and transparency. McCain Foods said the trials address various agriculture issues and challenges such as soil erosion, water insecurity, nutrient management and pesticide toxicity while also showcasing the best practices and applications of various regenerative agriculture practices, including cover cropping, crop diversity, irrigation innovations, advanced machinery and nature-based solutions.

“Regenerative agriculture is a core part of our mission to grow food in a smart and sustainable way,” said Dan Metheringham, North America vice president of agriculture and sustainability. “We are currently writing what promises to be a defining chapter for sustainable agriculture and we are proud of the work our team and partners are doing from the ground up.”

McCain said this expansion is part of the company’s commitment to implement regenerative agriculture practices across 100% of its global potato acreage by the end of 2030.