Dale Overton created his microbial brew, EcoTea, in a garage. Now it’s taking over a million acres of farmland by storm.
As EcoTea hits one million Canadian acres this year, it can be hard to believe the microbial seed treatment making waves across Western Canada started in a garage back in 2007.
Winnipeg’s Dale Overton, a trained ecologist with a master’s in quantitative plant ecology and land reclamation, didn’t set out to become an agricultural entrepreneur. He simply followed the science — and the science pointed to microbes.
“During my master’s, we realized microbial communities were the engine behind plant growth on contaminated sites,” says Overton. “That’s when I got the idea — what if we could actually build microbial communities to help plants thrive, not just in reclamation, but anywhere?”
That curiosity became EcoTea: a living blend of beneficial microbes and biostimulants that forms symbiotic relationships with plants to improve nutrient uptake, drought tolerance, and overall resilience. But getting from idea to industry impact took more than a decade.
EcoTea’s early adopters included Kroeker Farms, among the largest potato operations in the country. “They were using it on the organic side, because our product is biological,” Overton says. “But the more we worked with farmers, the more it became clear — most agriculture, because of monocultures and tillage and the chemical treadmill, is basically a case for reclamation.”
That shift in perspective — from solving environmental damage to optimizing mainstream ag — sparked EcoTea’s evolution. In 2018, Overton developed a new seed coating capable of delivering an entire microbial community directly onto the seed.
Today, that breakthrough is scaling fast. “We’re likely going to be on a million acres this year,” he says. “And that’s largely been through word of mouth.”
Rethinking “Regenerative” Ag
Overton is careful not to get caught up in buzzwords like regenerative agriculture, which is often associated with biological solutions.
“Regenerative ag is a bit of a loaded term. We just want to help farmers do what’s practical, cost-effective, and good for the soil,” he says. “We built a product that works, is easy to use, and gives a solid net return. That’s our formula.”
What sets EcoTea apart isn’t just the product — it’s the mindset. Overton isn’t an agronomist by trade; he’s an ecologist, obsessed with how systems function.
Microbes, Not Magic
What’s truly disruptive about EcoTea is its adaptability.
Most biologicals are built for narrow use cases — specific crops, soil types, or climates. Not EcoTea. Overton calls this its “ecological dexterity.”
“Our product works on any crop, in any soil, under any conditions,” he says. “That’s because we include a wide array of microbes that plants can ‘select’ from based on their needs. It mimics what happens in nature.”
What’s Next?
With performance data in hand and the million-acre milestone in sight, Overton says the next phase is visibility. “We’re expanding our dealer network, and more conventional retail outlets are picking up the product as an alternative to traditional seed treatments,” he says.
“We’re just getting started. We’ve spent years on R&D, and now we’re shifting into awareness. If you want a product that works, is grounded in science, and is better for your soil long term — this is it,” Overton says.
“We’re not reinventing nature. We’re just working with it.”
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