Ontario Biomass Producers Co-Op

Encouraging research with switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol production!  This is good news for biorefiners, because it suggests that they can use the same biomass hydrolyzing enzymes to break down xylans in all switchgrass biomass, no matter when the crop is harvested.  Read full article published in the The Crop Site: http://www.thecropsite.com/news/16911/cellulosic-ethanol-prospects-boosted-by-research

Link to article in BiofuelsDigest:  http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2014/10/29/the-strange-world-of-super-strong-super-light-nanocellulose

Highlights from the meeting can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/XLp6evubqXU

Link to article in Globe & Mail

Rogers TV covered a few segments of the COFS and Ontario Biomass Producers Co-op got a generous chunk of their production time. Amy Matheson of Rogers TV interviewed Don Nott at the OBPC tent and Amy used the biomass plots as a backdrop for an interview with Urs Eggimann. The OBPC interviews start at 6:58 and ends at 11:14

Great 3-page media coverage of our Clinton Field Day by Keith Roulston, in the October Rural Voice edition.   Enjoy the Rural Voice article!

Article by Jeff Carter in Sept. 23, 2014 Ontario Farmer, Production Section, page B 22. Page 1; Page 2

According to the attached article the oil industry has been spending over $800 million during the past 5 years to lobby against renewable fuel. Food vs. Fuel Debate Still Alive and Well

Exciting story in newsletter of Agricultural Adaptation Council AAC Quote: In collaboration with the Ontario Biomass Producer’s Co-op, Switch Energy Corp. is setting up a complete processing line that takes scrap plastic collected from farms and processes the material into forms where it can be combined with biofibre and/or bio-based resins for compounding. Because of the agricultural source of the material, it is frequently contaminated with dirt and straw and therefore need

Our Biomass Knowledge Exchange got great coverage in the Ontario Farmer by Jeff Carter. Thank you Sun Media, for giving us permission to reproduce the article. Making the switch Making the switch – part 2n n

Roger Samson, Executive Director of REAP-Canada, was the guest speaker at the March 10, 2014 OBPC Board Meeting. Roger gave our group a presentation of the recent switchgrass breeding activities of his research team. With the following link you can access the REAP presentation “ Development of improved switchgrass selections in a northern environment” . Congratulations to the REAP research team for its accomplishments. OBPC will be a strong supporter of future research effort

All presentations of the BKE event, held in Campbellville, are now accessible on our website in the OBPC Biomass Events section.

The latest OBPC Newsletter has been made available on our website.  Among various biomass articles it also contains the agenda of the Biomass Knowledge Exchange and the Annual General Meeting of OBPC. Happy reading!

The OFIP STORY in the latest AAC newsletter is encouraging reading for current and future switchgrass producers. A little bit of background: During a temporary wheat straw shortage some mushroom growers in Ontario started to pay attention to switchgrass and had been adding a small percentage of switchgrass to wheat straw for their compost mix.  OBPC has been playing a significant part in the switchgrass/mushroom research project. It all started with an invitation of Bill Stev

One of the greatest champions of Ontario’s bioeconomy, Dr. Gord Surgeoner, has been inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame.   Gord has been very supportive to biomass growers and we are excited that his effective engagement in the bioeconomy of our province has been recognized in this fashion.  The link to a news release contains more details.

Post event press release published in News section of February edition of The Rural Voice

Read article in Canadian Biomasss

ExcerptHere we go again, another membership sermon from the OBPC Vice President! May be not quite, or at least this time it is connected to market realities. The good news is that OBPC could welcome a few new members during 2013. In addition to Producer and Individual Associate memberships, we added a Business Associate membership, giving non-farming organizations an opportunity to connect with OBPC. Markets and Membership by Urs Eggimann DownloadOBPC-Winter-2014-Newsletter-l

AGM Details

We are all saddened with the sudden loss of our OBPC Board Member, Dean Tiessen. The Reid Funeral Home has created a  Book of Memories  for Dean.