Young Guns Contest: Now Accepting Entries

May 09, 2018

Are you between the ages of eight and 21, and involved in Beef 4-H, junior cattle shows, or beef production? This is your opportunity to win one of three prizes in the Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) Young Guns Contest.

Tell the APB what connects you to the land in Alberta and how beef production and the environment – the land, water and air, conservation and stewardship – are connected. An entry may be submitted as an essay, video, advertisement, presentation, blog post, press release or any other form of communication.

Be creative. Three prizes are available:

1st Place - $1,000
2nd Place - $500
3rd Place - $250

Source : Alberta Ag and Forestry

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.