Ontario invests in dead stock gasification plant Wednesday, June 15, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFThe Ontario government, through its rural economic development program, is investing $3,652,809 into a $10 million gasification system to render and recycle dead stock.Atwood Pet Food Supplies Limited serves Ontario from Highway 400 west. They currently render 50 to 60 tonnes of beef dead stock per day but, after water and tallow is separated, the meat and bone meal has to be trucked to a landfill in Ottawa. The gasification system, expected to be operational by January 2013, will allow them to render 100 tonnes worth of dead stock per day. They will separate the tallow and water and they will gasify the rest of the carcass leaving nothing but an ash residue. In the process, they expect to create enough gas to replace the natural gas they use now.“Natural gas is 75 per cent of the cost of rendering,” said owner David Smith. While they are still called Atwood Pet Food Supplies, they have not supplied any material to the pet food industry since BSE was discovered in a cow in Alberta in 20062003.The new process will involve rendering at 270 degrees Fahrenheit which removes water, 60 per cent of the weight, and tallow, which is 15 per cent. The water is trucked to a water treatment plant and the tallow is sold into the bio diesel market. The remaining 25 per cent will enter the gasification chamber where it will be heated to 1100 to 1400 degrees centigrade.“Gas comes out of this oxygen starved container,” Smith said. “You just keep heating it. It is not incinerated. It’s just heating it up to get the gas off it. When the gas is off, we are going to fire that gas up and replace our natural gas costs.” The ash that is left may become fertilizer if it meets certain criteria. If it does not, it will be sent to landfill.Smith said the plant will run 24/7 and four or five workers will be added to the 35 currently employed at the plant. While they expect to get enough gas to run the operation, they are not certain whether they will have extra gas to produce power for the grid. BF Cargill moves Strathroy operations Garlic growers await nematode research outcome
Growing Home with BASF Opens 2026 Nominations Monday, February 16, 2026 After strong community engagement in 2025, BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada is inviting Canadians to take part once again as nominations open for the 2026 Growing Home with BASF program. Now entering its fourth year, the initiative continues to support organizations that play an... Read this article online
OPP Wrangle Runaway Horses Monday, February 16, 2026 Earlier this month, Lambton County residents saw a bit of unexpected horsepower trotting through Enniskillen Township—minus the engine. According to OPP West Region, officers were called out to rescue a loose horse that had taken itself on a brisk winter outing. Under the... Read this article online
Bonnefield joins Canadian Agriculture Investment Coalition Wednesday, February 11, 2026 Bonnefield Financial Inc. announced its participation in a new investment coalition focused on strengthening Canada’s agriculture and food industry. The coalition, brought together by Farm Credit Canada, includes more than 20 investment organizations. Together, they are prepared to invest... Read this article online
Looking for a heritage machine Tuesday, February 10, 2026 A Brantford, Ontario area heritage organization—the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre (CIHC)—is putting out a call to the Canadian agricultural community in hopes of locating a rare piece of machinery that helped transform grain harvesting around the world. The CIHC is preparing... Read this article online
Why farmers built their own renewable energy association Tuesday, February 10, 2026 When renewable energy developers come knocking on rural doors, farmers often find themselves staring at 40-page leases, unfamiliar terminology, and long-term commitments that could shape their land for decades. For many, the opportunity is exciting and enticing—but also... Read this article online