A Canadian farmer's unique technology is revolutionizing agriculture
He has been using a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fertilizers for 20 years.
The agriculture industry is facing rising fertilizer costs: events in recent months have caused a spike in prices that has left many farmers in a quandary of whether to pay exorbitant prices for traditional fertilizers or consider other options. Some have resorted to the traditional method of feeding fields with manure, which has caused shortages in some parts of North America, while others have considered switching to various substitutes to provide nutrients to their fields.
One such alternative is the technology developed by Gary Lewis, a Southern Alberta farmer who grows mustard, wheat and yellow peas on his 1,600-hectare land.
Remarkably, to grow these crops, he hasn't used traditional fertilizers in 20 years. Instead, he relies on a technology he developed called Bio-Agtive, a system designed to capture tractor emissions and produce carbon-based biofertilizer.
Lewis believes interest in his technology has increased many times this year because of high prices: Because of last year's drought, farmers were still managing to pay their bills, but then when prices spiked this spring, many family farms felt significant financial strain. He is a fourth-generation farmer himself and father of five children and was close to financial ruin in the years when his crops and soil did not justify the investments made.
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