Reading Time: 3 minutes My husband John and I have always been drawn to the land. He is a third-generation rancher here in Canada; I grew up on my parents’ small mixed farm. I am a microbiologist by trade and a rancher by inclination. John and I possess a strong land ethic as well as a keen ecological awareness; […] Read more
Dancing with Mother Nature and leaving a legacy of sustainability
Being sustainable means focusing on a triple bottom line — the people, the land and the business
Doing a better job of turning grass into grain — and saying so
Growing more forage is the right thing to do. Is the beef industry prepared if it happens?
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re looking for proof that there is no such thing as bad publicity, beef may be a good example. For years it’s been painted as a public health and environmental villain, and recently there were more reports on how bovine frontal and rearward methane emissions are a major source of climate-altering greenhouse gas. All […] Read more
Company expects big things from microwaving biomass
Radient Technologies uses patented microwave technology to extract high-value components from flax, rosemary, and other crops
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta advantage isn’t just about oil. For Radient Technologies, it means better access to funding, nearby sources of agricultural biomass, and joining a developed sector of bio-based companies. Founded in Toronto in 2001, the now Edmonton-based company has developed a new, faster way to extract high-value natural compounds from plant biomasses. Using a microwave-assisted […] Read more
Scientists make ethanol without corn or other crops
The process converts carbon monoxide gas into liquid ethanol using copper electrodes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Scientists have developed a new way to make liquid ethanol efficiently without using corn or other crops needed in the conventional method for producing the biofuel. The scientists said April 9 their process turns carbon monoxide gas into liquid ethanol with the help of an electrode made of a form of copper. They said the […] Read more
Lethbridge facility creates green energy by turning manure to megawatts
Lethbridge Biogas plant can power 2,800 homes, with more than half of its ‘fuel’ coming from livestock manure
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta is famous for its black gold, but a newly commissioned $30-million biogas plant in Lethbridge is drawing attention for being on the cutting edge of green power. “It’s potentially the most technologically advanced, privately held biogas plant in the world today,” said Thane Hurlburt, a rancher and president of Lethbridge Biogas. “We can operate […] Read more
U.S. timber industry a cautionary tale for Canadian agriculture
Consumers are beginning to reject agriculture’s social licence to operate, and producers are paying the price
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s called social licence — and farmers will pay a steep price if they lose it. It happened to American logger Bruce Vincent, who offered his story as a cautionary tale to a rapt audience of beef producers at the recent Alberta Beef Industry Conference. “Our social licence to operate was rejected by the public,” […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
