A small non-profit organization based in Montreal hopes to make big gains on the Prairies as it works to connect people who want to improve soil health. Regeneration Canada formed in the fall of 2017 after a successful Living Soils Symposium earlier that year. The symposium focused on bringing together farmers, scientists and other stakeholders […] Read more
Tag Archives The Innovation Issue — page 3
Rail, hyperloops, buses: what does the future hold for rural transit?
Imagine a world with fewer cars, more trains and systems that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, such as hyperloops, transporting people throughout the country. The idea might seem farfetched, but for some they would address key challenges facing rural and urban communities, making them more sustainable. “The possibilities and potential are there,” […] Read more
Big farm vs. small farm: survival of the fittest
Everybody has an opinion during coffee shop debates about optimal farm size and sustainability, and it seems every opinion is correct. We asked, which farms are sustainable in troubled times? It depends on who you talk to. First we talked to farm management consultant Peter Manness, who works out of the MNP office in Brandon. […] Read more
As plant protein surges, what’s in store for pulses?
Pulse crops might become less about size and colour and more about efficacy and variety, as the plant-protein industry continues to grow. It would be as if the pulse industry had its own malt barley sector and would let producers diversify their market, said Pulse Canada chief executive officer Gordon Bacon. “This is really unique […] Read more
Weighing greener energy options on the farm
The trend toward renewable energy is not limited to solar panels on urban rooftops or large-scale wind farms. More and more, farmers and rural residents are choosing sustainable options for power. They’re looking to avoid the high capital cost of utility installation as well as the carbon tax. Jason Praski, an engineer who worked for […] Read more
Are e-tractors practical?
Even when purchase prices come down, will it ever be practical to run a big battery powered 4×4 to replace your Versatile? We will see bigger battery tractors than we have now, for sure, but they will be very expensive until battery costs comes down. For now, Europeans can buy a 70-horsepower electric tractor with […] Read more
Goodbye, phosphorus
A mobile manure treatment system developed by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania State University removes almost all of the phosphorus and solids from dairy and swine manure. “It uses a combination of liquid solid separation and chemical amendment in order to remove as much as 99 percent of the phosphorus from […] Read more
Food companies take sustainability to heart
Environmentally conscious consumers are not the only ones concerned about sustainable food production. Many of the world’s largest food manufacturers have also adopted sustainability strategies that are aimed at preserving the environment and protecting their own bottom lines. At Cargill, a global food supply company that employs 160,000 people in 70 countries, environmental sustainability and […] Read more
Susgrainable: baking with craft brewers’ leftovers
It seems like new craft breweries spring up every week across Western Canada. There are about 170 in British Columbia, 125 in Alberta, more than 20 in Saskatchewan and at least a dozen in Manitoba. Each markets its own tantalizing taste and attributes, but they all have one thing in common: spent grain that was […] Read more
Farmers urged to take responsibility for defining sustainability
Farmers, processors and marketers had better come up with their own “sustainability” measures and branding or others will keep doing it for them. That theme became common during the Manitoba Protein Summit in September, even though sustainability itself was not a main focus of the official program. “We need to be demonstrating to those consumers […] Read more
