Government Invests In Canada's Fertilizer Industry

Mar 30, 2015

The federal government announced Friday an investment of $1.1 million to the Canadian Fertilizer Institute.

The funding will go towards research to improve the efficient use of fertilizer, while reducing the environmental impacts and input costs, and creating competitive advantages for producers through improved crop production.

It will also enable the institute to build on its 4R Nutrient Stewardship research network, which is a cross-Canada research network involving scientists from 11 universities and research institutes.

The group will collaborate on a three-year research project to develop and test best management practices and support systems for fertilizer use tailored to Canadian soils, climates and cropping systems.

The investment is being made through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Agriinnovation Program under Growing Forward 2.

Source: SteinbachOnline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.