Energy The Next Valuable Farm Crop?

Nov 22, 2012

Farm Credit Canada Report Highlights How Energy is an Opportunity for Agriculture

Have you ever thought to yourself – what can I do to add more value to my farm? The answer might be energy!

According to a report released by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the evolving energy landscape means that there is a unique opportunity for Canadian agriculture. The FCC report says that Canada’s agriculture industry “is in a unique position to meet changing global energy demands.”

“Two things are for certain,” says Kellie Garrett, Senior Vice-President of Strategy, Knowledge and Reputation with FCC. “One, the global population continues to grow, and two, this growth means an increased need for food and affordable energy to sustain us. Agriculture depends on energy and also has the ability to produce it. “

Experts predict that in less than 40 years, the world will need 70 per cent more food to feed a projected global population of nine billion people. With that in mind, FCC also predicts that the technological breakthroughs will bring a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy sources which will complement the increased demand for not only food but fuel.

While bringing renewable energy projects to your farm can be an opportunity - it should also be preceded with caution, because adding an energy crop to your farm can be risky. The FCC report suggests that producers need to understand the tension between the need for sustainability and profitability and how that relationship will have an impact on future agriculture energy trends.

The FCC report says farmers should be monitoring trends in three key areas:

1.Innovations in science and technology
2.Changing policies and principles
3.Volatile markets

“Never has Canadian agriculture mattered more to Canada and the world,” Garrett says. “And, nothing is better than sharing knowledge and learning from others in the industry."

The latest issue of FCC's Knowledge Insider (www.fcc.ca/insider) shares insights about how farmers and agribusinesses can prepare for success in a changing energy world. More information can be found on their website at www.fcc-fac.ca

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.