Challenge competitions are increasingly becoming popular ways to boost innovation. The idea is to harness the ideas and creativity of a broad audience of innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs in hopes of coming up with out-of-the-box solutions to tough problems. Why it matters: A “challenge” approach to research and innovation brings new perspectives and ideas to […] Read more
Challenging their way to innovative food waste solutions
Competitions are becoming a popular way to encourage new technologies in agriculture and food
New micro-learning platform for veterinarians wins pitch competition
Obi Veterinary Education helps veterinarians stay up-to-date without in-person learning
An online platform that makes continuing education quicker and easier for veterinarians won the 2021 University of Guelph Gryphon’s LAAIR pitch competition. Obi Veterinary Education has created an online community where subscribers can complete required continuing education credits in short, easily digestible blocks of information. “The idea came from the challenges I faced in school […] Read more
Bioenterprise builds a national agri-food innovation network
The Guelph-based organization is partnering with organizations with an interest in agriculture and food
A little over a year ago, a Guelph-based agri-food innovation accelerator set out on a somewhat ambitious quest: to build a national agriculture innovation network. Bioenterprise had a long-standing history in Ontario of helping start-ups and emerging companies in the agri-food sector along their growth paths, but there was no one-stop-shop at the national level […] Read more
Hydroponic system offers year-round on-farm feed solution
The vertical farm system can make sense where land is expensive and dairy feed scarce
Imagine having a steady, fresh supply of livestock feed available daily that’s not subject to price fluctuation or unpredictable weather. That’s the vision behind HydroGreen’s fully automated system that applies the principles of indoor vertical farming to producing livestock feed. “In agriculture specifically, we have some very important dilemmas where farmers are being asked to […] Read more
Instant expert access allows better decisions on the farm
AGVisorPRO brings diverse expertise in agriculture into one app
There are many experts in the agriculture sector with valuable input and advice to share, but making the connection when and where it’s needed is often difficult. For Patrick Walther and Robert Saik, the solution is a virtual platform to bring farmers and agribusiness professionals together in real-time. The two co-founded AGvisorPRO last year in […] Read more
Innovation competition spurs creative product development
Soy-based anti-chafing cream one of 2021’s Project SOY winners
A long-running student competition at the University of Guelph that promotes creative innovation for new product development marked its 25th anniversary at the end of March with its annual awards ceremony. The winners of Project SOY Plus 2021 included an anti-chafing cream made of soybeans, a vegan yogurt using chickpeas, and a dietary supplement infused […] Read more
Space agency looks for out of this world food solutions
Food innovations for space flight could also have impact on food security on Earth
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are turning to Canadians for help in figuring out how to keep people alive during long future space flights to Mars and beyond. The two organizations have come together with national food and agri-tech accelerator Bioenterprise and its Quebec counterpart ZoneAgTech to launch an exceptional call for innovation […] Read more
Online driven home delivery of local food products spells opportunity
FreshSpoke connects producers of food with local markets, home delivery and retailers
COVID-19 has been challenging for many businesses but for some, the pandemic has also presented new opportunities. One such company is FreshSpoke, an online Ontario wholesale marketplace for local food that has expanded into home delivery and curbside pickup in response to consumer shopping behaviour changes. That expansion has also had positive impacts right back […] Read more
Is synthetic meat a friend or foe of livestock?
University of Guelph researchers looking for input from livestock farmers
Bill Gates’ latest book discussing ways to tackle climate change hit the shelves on Feb. 16. In it, he urges wealthy countries to give up beef and switch to 100 per cent synthetic alternatives – a concept that quickly got him trending on Twitter as people grappled with the idea. So what exactly is synthetic […] Read more
Quebec leads the way in artificial intelligence
Companies there are applying the concept to livestock production
Labour challenges and increased demands for automation and traceability throughout the supply chain are driving implementation of technologies that automate various farming tasks and lessen the reliance on a human workforce. Artificial intelligence can help make those robots even smarter and automate tasks — like harvesting produce for example — that previously could only be […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
