OLDS — A Calgary-based company has come up with technology to filter livestock manure and turn it into fertilizer that can be reused on-farm or sold to make money for producers.
The company is called Livestock Water Recycling Inc. (LWR).
Two of the company’s employees -- Karleigh Lewis, an agronomist/sales representative and Oscar Jaimes, software engineer -- gave a presentation on the technology during AgSmart, an agriculture technology expo, held Aug. 10-11 at the Olds College Smart Farm.
LWR sells two types of systems. One separates manure into solids and liquids. Another separates it out further into at least 75 per cent clean water and concentrated liquid nutrient.
The nutrient can be spread back on field or dried further, packaged and sold as fertilizer in hardware stores and greenhouses. During an interview, Jaimes said the company has a client in the U.S. that does so.
Jaimes said the systems can also track animal health, use nutrient crop management and treatment livestock have received. Productivity, pH, temperature, humidity and other data can also be collected.
Lewis said by processing manure, the systems also help solve a big problem for dairy farms – full lagoons.
She said the company started out selling its systems to dairy farms but now services farms with other livestock and has branched out to serve biogas firms.
Lewis was asked if they plan to sell their products to feedlots and mixed farms.
She said that’s the eventual plan.
During their presentation, Lewis and Jaimes announced the company is entering billionaire Elon Musk’s $100 million XPRIZE carbon removal competition.
The goal of the competition is to encourage people to come up with new ways to remove carbon from air or water to help fight climate change.
The prize, announced this past February, runs through 2025. A panel of judges will choose 15 teams that will receive $1 million each.
“There’s a really big need for the world to create systems to put in place that are actually going to be a measurable impact on climate change," Lewis said.
"We’re very excited to be in this.”
