Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a lot of pressure on farmers to adopt sustainable practices, digitize, understand carbon, conserve water, and add value. What are the top five areas in which all farmers should be asking questions? And what might those questions be? Carbon credits Although Canada’s goals are towards net-zero carbon emission, there is just as great […] Read more
Schoepp: In a changing world, a host of new questions need answering
Data ownership and who pays for sustainability measures are just two of many issues farmers must grapple with
AgCanada rolling out $200-million initiative to cut agricultural emissions
Cover cropping, reducing nitrogen use, and rotational grazing to be promoted by new program
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government is looking for partners to help farmers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions — and is putting $200 million on the table for three “target areas.” The three areas are cover cropping, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing practices, the government said in a release issued a few days before the federal election call. […] Read more
Unique partnership a triple play for Lacombe County greenhouse
Operation taps nearby natural gas for heat and power while capturing and using carbon dioxide
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to running a greenhouse, one of the biggest costs is energy. But a partnership between Doef’s Greenhouses in Lacombe County and an Alberta energy company has changed that equation. “Generally oil and gas went about their thing, and agriculture went about their thing,” said Brad Murray, president of Horseshoe Power, which has […] Read more
A whopper of a different sort?
Burger King unveils splashy new campaign built around lemongrass, and not much science, says expert
Reading Time: 2 minutes The yodelling young cowboy is pretty good, but don’t take it for gospel when Burger King’s newest pitchman warbles that “the scientists have proven that it works.” The American burger chain recently launched (in a few U.S. cities) the Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper. Burger King says it “teamed up” with “top-level” scientists from the […] Read more
Feed additive could be a methane game changer
Feed additive that can halve emissions while boosting feed efficiency is now undergoing a large-scale study
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s pressure on the beef industry to be more sustainable, and some of that pressure falls on scientists like Karen Beauchemin. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ruminant nutritionist and her team at the Lethbridge research station are looking for ways to reduce enteric methane — gas produced when digesting feed — from beef cattle. One […] Read more
Advance registration now required for obtaining carbon credits
A new rule means producers must register with an aggregator by May 1 to obtain a carbon credit for this crop year
Reading Time: < 1 minute An important change has come to Alberta’s Carbon Offset System. Farmers must be registered with an aggregation company prior to May 1 or they will not be able to claim credits for the 2018 year for the Conservation Cropping protocol, the main offset that farmers currently use. This is a change from previous years, when […] Read more
Ontario proposal aims to double ethanol blend in fuel
Government move would boost corn market in the province
An Ontario government proposal could dramatically increase the amount of Ontario corn going into ethanol production and help bring consistency to the basis price for corn in the province. The government has posted its proposal to increase ethanol content in the province’s gasoline from five to 10 per cent to the Environmental Bill of Rights […] Read more
Agricultural biomass in the spotlight
Reading Time: < 1 minute Using agricultural biomass to create fuels, chemicals, and materials will be in the spotlight at an upcoming conference in Edmonton promoting innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while advancing the bio-industrial sector. While many of the speakers are from the energy sector, there will be several presentations with an agricultural focus. A trio of professors […] Read more
Half of nitrogen from feedlots is lost to ammonia emission
Mitigating emissions from feedlots isn’t easy, but there are ‘simple’ steps to reduce nitrogen losses and save money
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feedlots have come a long way in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. But a new federal research study has found that nitrogen losses in feedlots are still significant — and can significantly affect the bottom line. “We’re losing about 50 per cent of the nitrogen to ammonia loss in a feedlot, and […] Read more
Bocock Brothers receive top dairy award
Reading Time: < 1 minute John and Bill Bocock are the 2016 recipients of the Alberta Milk’s Dairy Industry Achievement Award. The brothers are trendsetters whose dairy careers have spanned decades, and among their contributions to the industry is a donation of 777 acres to the University of Alberta to create the St. Albert Research Station. The station is used […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
