Next generation ethanol in GreenField's sights Monday, May 9, 2011 by SUSAN MANNGreenField Ethanol Inc. is getting ready to begin making transportation fuel from agricultural materials not normally associated with ethanol production.GreenField has launched a new collaborative partnership company, G2 BioChem, to produce cellulosic ethanol, which is referred to as next generation ethanol. G2 BioChem is backed by major international partners and collaborators with GreenField as the principle partner in the venture.The company will be using agricultural residues like corn cobs and stover, energy crops like switch grass and sorghum and forest biomass like poplar and willow.Barry Wortzman, GreenField ‘s vice-president of business development and president of G2 BioChem, says “you go through a process that will end up with cellulosic ethanol.”He says they’ll start building a cellulose demonstration-scale facility this summer. It will be integrated with GreenField’s existing facilities at its Centre of Excellence in Chatham.GreenField is exploring the use of new materials for ethanol production because it wants to increase the amount of ethanol in the transportation pool. But there will be limitations on the availability of first-generation grains, such as corn and wheat, currently being used to produce ethanol. “It’s abundant but it’s not limitless,” he explains. “You want to be able to expand on your feedstock availability and that raises a whole new process requirement.”Another reason to explore the use of new materials has to do policies developed by American legislators. Wortzman says new legislation enacted in the United States outlines requirements for the production of next generation ethanol. “The policies of the U.S. government have created the demand for this product.”Wortzman says three to four years ago GreenField’s innovative team of scientists and engineers recommended the company pursue manufacturing second-generation ethanol. The project will reach commercial scale by the end of 2013, he says.GreenField is Canada’s largest ethanol company producing 450 million litres of ethanol annually. BF Court tosses out 'whistleblower's' claim in egg grader case Farmland values on the rise in Ontario's east and southwest
Markets Connect Dots Toward US China Trade Deal Monday, August 25, 2025 On the weekly hosted by Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal, the focus for the week of August 18 to 22, 2025 was connecting market signals with on-the-ground realities. The discussion centered on trade negotiations and... Read this article online
Hensall Co-op Invests in Rural Growth Monday, August 25, 2025 Hensall Co-op has announced the recipients of its fifth annual Strong Communities Initiative, a program dedicated to strengthening rural communities by supporting projects that deliver long-term positive impact. This year, the co-op and its employees awarded $20,000 in grants to two main... Read this article online
Sunflower farming in Ontario Tuesday, August 19, 2025 While Manitoba dominates sunflower production in Canada—accounting for about 90 percent of the national output (https://oggardenonline.com/where-in-canada-are-sunflowers-grown.html)—Ontario is home to a growing number of sunflower farms. These farms are often smaller in scale and... Read this article online
2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has published the initial list of prescribed regions eligible for the 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral provision, a key support measure for Canadian livestock producers grappling with the impacts of extreme weather. “As we continue to see the very... Read this article online
Winter wheat in Ontario: A resilient crop for a sustainable future Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Winter wheat has long been a staple in Ontario’s agricultural landscape, offering both economic and environmental benefits to farmers across the province. Grown primarily in southwestern Ontario, this crop plays a vital role in crop rotation systems, soil health, and food... Read this article online