|  The crystal ball says we live in the best place in the world. Personally, I’ve long been convinced of it, having lived in this area for most of my life, but this is the opinion of a bio-economy expert who spoke at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre recently.
His perspective was a bit different from mine, though. While my ideas of why this is a great place to live are shaped by family, friends and lifestyle, his were focused on societal fundamentals, such as oil, water and food. John P. Oliver says our conventional supplies of oil, food and water will be surpassed by global demand by 2050. Continue reading Healthy Ontario farms will help us as supplies decline This is an update to a blog post I put up almost a year ago, where I wrote about a soy-based asphalt sealant that can help keep potholes at bay. I was intrigued by the potential of the product at the time – both for municipalities trying to keep their roads budgets under control in the crazy Canadian climate and for farmers seeking new market opportunities for their soybean crops. Well, we’re a few steps closer to reality on both fronts – the product is now being tested on a one kilometre stretch of road near Owen Sound and will be evaluated by the Grey County Department of Transportation and Public Safety to determine its effectiveness in the Canadian climate. Continue reading Soybeans could help extend life of asphalt roads  Soybeans are helping to make industrial epoxy resins used in construction, automotive and furniture production hardier, greener and less expensive.
Researchers at the University of Guelph are working on a new soy-oil based bio-resin that, when mixed with soy stalks and soybean meal, can create new biodegradable “green composites”. Continue reading Car, furniture production cheaper, greener with soy  Grain and oilseed crops like soybeans and canola are increasingly starting to replace traditional petroleum-based product ingredients, lessening our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and creating new market opportunities for growers.
One market that is growing rapidly is that of bio-based lubricants and industrial fluids, which includes everything from hydraulic and transmission fluids to greases, motor oils and fuel additives, said Soy 20/20 President Jeff Schmalz at the winter meeting of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre held recently in Guelph. Continue reading Oilseeds find industrial niches  There’s power in biofuel! The Ferrari team finished one-two at the opening Formula One Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain over the weekend.
Sure, that’s sports news, but what also makes this feed, fuel and farm news is that these race cars were powered by an experimental biofuel made from Eastern Ontario wheat straw. Continue reading Farmers fuel Formula One  As demand for “green” products increases, more and more technologies and opportunities for bio-based products are emerging alongside to meet those needs.
Crops like corn, wheat and soybeans are starting to replace traditional petroleum-based ingredients in these new bio-products, making them easier on the environment and lessening our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels. They’re also creating new market opportunities for farmers.
Continue reading Soybeans in motor oils and lubricants  …it’s been rather quiet – ok, totally quiet – on this blog for the last week or so. I took a few long-awaited days off from blogging and working over the Christmas holidays. Mostly it was to pack and get organized for our big move this week, but also just to take a step back, recharge, rejuvenate and start to think about the year ahead. Continue reading Back for another year…
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