A young farmer in the Calgary area has come up with an innovative way of helping local businesses grow. And Victoria Ross is promoting “farm to table” with a stop at a brewery along the way.
Ross runs aGRO Systems out of her farm about half an hour’s drive north of Calgary.
aGRO collects the grain mash left over after local craft breweries have finished brewing a batch, selling it to southern Alberta farmers and ranchers to use as livestock feed.
Ross grew up on a farm and she’s delighted that’s she’s found a way to carry on the family tradition.
“It’s actually really awesome,” Ross said. “We’re focused on connecting our whole food production system.”
Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Co. is one of about 30 Calgary-area breweries that pay aGRO to collect their leftover brewer’s mash, rather than tossing it out.
“It’s going to local farmers,” Ol’ Beautiful’s Carley Leger said. “So it’s helping other local people in our city and our area, which is always great to help with.”
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Among the farmers and ranchers buying the mash to use as feed is Tall Timber Cattle Co.
“We use that as a high energy supplement, a green alternative, also a feed supplement that’s saving us money in the end,” Tall Timber’s James Van Staalduinen said. “We’re all winning: the breweries get to get rid of it and it stays out of the landfill.”
Ross will be promoting sustainable agriculture when she speaks at a conference in Calgary on Tuesday Apr 5.
Organized by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, the event is called “Cultivate: Agriculture Summit.”
“There needs to be a little bit more of a conversation on how we can connect the farm to table better,” Ross said. “It will reduce our emissions, it’ll create healthier food for consumers and then create a better, more lucrative local economy.”
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