Grainswest - Winter 2023

Winter 2023 Grains West 6 Aneweraofon-farm energyproduction FROM THE AIR, DENMARK IS FLAT as a pancake, a medieval patchwork of farmland that more resembles the irreg- ular segments of a stained-glass window than the perfect rectangular fields of the Prairie grid. In the ocean shallows along the country’s many islands and inlets and across its countryside, Denmark’s well-established wind turbines appear to be everywhere. With the support of Bayer, the Cana- dian Farm Writers’ Federation provides one Canadian agricultural journalist or communicator with $2,500 to attend the annual International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress. I was granted the bursary just before the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed interna- tional travel and the annual event was put on hold. Once travel restrictions were lifted, I was able to attend the 2022 Congress, which was held in Denmark in late June 2022. The country has committed to the re- duction of its carbon emissions to 70 per cent below its 1990 level by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal that is certainly controversial among Danish farmers. However, the sector has produced results in this area, and the Danish agriculture industry trumpets the fact its food pro- duction continues to increase while its emissions drop. With very substantial and sustained commitment of public funds, on-farm energy production has proliferated. The country’s success with wind energy production now serves as the model for its biogas sector. A visit to the Nature Energy Månsson biogas plant in Brande inspired our examination of the Canadi- an ag biogas industry (pg. 26). Though its growth is much slower paced, projects such as GrowTEC, an anaerobic digestion plant on the Perry family farm near the village of Chin, have been influenced by the Danish model. In “Power surge,” we discuss the pros and cons of investment in ag biogas facilities and in becoming a feedstock contributor. EDITOR’S MESSAGE Pictured here at their on-farm biogas plant, Chris (left) and Harold Perry built the facility with their father Gerry in 2014. A pioneering project, their facility will now produce renewable natural gas for FortisBC. Photo:CourtesyofGrowTec Support Ukrainian agriculture While farmers in Canada and Denmark are fortunate to have the resources and stability to participate in initiatives such as power generation projects, their Ukrainian counterparts have struggled even to seed and market their crops since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022. From its start, Canadian farmers and agricultural businesses have worked to assist Ukrainian farmers who have endured the loss of their homes and livelihoods. Mines have been laid in their fields as crops, machinery and granaries have been destroyed on a vast scale. In “War bonds” (pg. 36), you will meet Canadian ag industry professionals who continue to aid their Ukrainian peers in numerous and generous ways. As the war continues into 2023, the need for assistance will not diminish. For further information or to contribute to the initiatives highlighted in the story, contact these individuals and organizations. • Canada Ukraine Foundation and Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal: cufoundation.ca • Rob Saik Ukraine fundraising initiative: robsaik.com • Support Ukrainian Farmers Coalition: a.mullin@geosys.com • World to Rebuild Rural Ukraine: wrru.org