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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Electric power from potatoes

Monday, February 28, 2011

Slices of freshly cooked potatoes can provide electricity for remote, off-grid communities, says a research team at the University of Jerusalem. A slice of potato can generate light for 20 hours, and several slices could power simple medical equipment, or even a low-powered computer.

The work was described last year in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy and hinges on a recent discovery that electricity flows from membranes disrupted by boiling. Potato batteries are estimated to generate electricity at a cost of about US$9 per kilowatt hour, about the same cost as AA alkaline batteries. D cells generate electricity for about $50/kWh.

Expect to see another debate about "food or energy" to develop. The "antis" argue that these "food batteries" would be grown and used in areas of Africa where food may already be in short supply. Proponents, on the other hand, say many potatoes can't be moved to city markets in time to prevent them from rotting. BF
 

Current Issue

August 2026

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

How Busch turned bales into advertising dollars for farmers

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Busch is taking a different approach to advertising in rural Canada by moving marketing dollars from city billboards directly into farmers’ fields. The brand’s new “Baleboard” campaign transforms hay bales into oversized six-pack displays inspired by Busch’s limited-edition Farmer’s Pack.... Read this article online

Niagara farm groups seek support following flood damage

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Three of Niagara's leading agricultural organizations are urging governments to provide targeted support to growers following a series of severe rainfall events that have caused widespread flooding across the region. According to a joint statement from Flowers Canada, Grape Growers... Read this article online

AALP Dream Gala tops $110,000 for leadership programming

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

The 2026 Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) Dream Gala raised more than $110,000 to support leadership development within Ontario’s agri-food sector, according to the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI). Held at The GrandWay Events Centre in Elora, the biennial fundraising event was... Read this article online

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