New resources to help farmers discover beneficial on-farm biogas opportunities

Mar 09, 2021

Ottawa, Ontario – The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced funding of up to $116,800 for the Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) to accelerate sustainable agricultural development. The Minister also met with Jennifer Green, Executive Director of the CBA, and Rob McKinlay of Harcolm Farms in Woodstock, Ontario, who installed a factory built mini digester system on his 72-head dairy farm. They discussed the benefits of biogas, how biogas installments work, and the educational resources available through the CBA's new website.

With funding of up to $28,800 from the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, the CBA launched a campaign to help farmers learn more about biogas. As part of the campaign, the CBA launched FarmingBiogas.ca, a new website with resources to help farmers evaluate the opportunities of biogas, including a self-assessment tool, answers to key questions, profiles of on-farm biogas plants in Canada and more. It also includes a checklist and links to biogas equipment suppliers and technical advisors, acting as a one-stop-shop to help farmers get started.

On-farm biogas systems can help farmers cut greenhouse gas emissions, provide sustainable sources of energy and offer many other environmental advantages. They can also generate additional sources of income and create opportunities for the farm's next generation.

Biogas can be captured and purified to create renewable natural gas, which is fully interchangeable to replace conventional natural gas. The CBA also received $88,000 under the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program to identify clusters of agricultural resources across Canada and assess the potential for renewable natural gas development by region. The CBA will use this information to create a guide to inform agricultural stakeholders about new and emerging renewable natural gas opportunities, encouraging collaborations to develop more sustainable energy systems in Canada.

Canadian farmers are important partners in the fight against climate change. By adopting sustainable technologies and practices, farmers can reduce their environmental footprint and capture new economic opportunities.

Source : Government of Canada

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