Food and Farming Canada » bioproducts

Healthy Ontario farms will help us as supplies decline

Lilian — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:10:02 +0000

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, [...]

Soybeans could help extend life of asphalt roads

Lilian — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:15:17 +0000

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 [...]

Car, furniture production cheaper, greener with soy

Lilian — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:59:34 +0000

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”. Traditional epoxy resins used in composite products are [...]

Oilseeds find industrial niches

Lilian — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:07:39 +0000

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 [...]

Farmers fuel Formula One

Lilian — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:28:34 +0000

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.

Shell and [...]

Soybeans in motor oils and lubricants

Lilian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:47:33 +0000

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 [...]

Back for another year…

Lilian — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:18:43 +0000

…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, [...]

Feeding the world without destroying it?

Lilian — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:29:43 +0000

By 2025, farmers need to double their food output to feed an estimated global population of eight billion. That’s a startling statistic and what it means is something we all need to start thinking about.

I came across it in a report on the Colorado Ag Classic, a convention of Colorado wheat, seed, corn, sunflower and [...]

Can soybeans be the solution to potholes?

Lilian — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:18:18 +0000

Imagine a world where pavement doesn’t disintegrate and potholes don’t exist. Imagine a product that can reduce the negative environmental impact of asphalt, cut costs for cash-strapped municipalities and offer new market opportunities for farmers. Some might consider this a utopian dream, but thanks to a new asphalt preservation product, this dream could soon be [...]

New bioproducts resource for soybeans

Lilian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:40:53 +0000

Industrial Uses and Opportunities for Canadian Soybeans, a new brochure highlighting industrial market opportunities for Canadian soybeans, is now available. The goal of the 16-page resource, produced by Soy 20/20, is to generate awareness of the many new soy-based products and applications being developed, as well as those already commercially available.

“Bio-products are an emerging new [...]