Sask. farmer takes advantage of federal climate change cash for high-efficiency grain dryer

The federal government is using a new program to help farmers revamp practices to fight climate change.

Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau met virtually with farmers in Saskatchewan and Quebec Thursday, announcing the first wave of 60 approved projects under the Agriculture Clean Technology Program.

“With the Agriculture Clean Technology (ACT) program, our objective is to help farmers and agri-businesses move to a low-carbon economy,” Bibeau said during the Zoom call with farmers.

The program will use $17.9 million in funding to give farmers and the agri-business sector access “to the latest clean technologies,” according to a government news release.

Bibeau met with Bryce Wendland of Wendland Farms Ltd. in Waldheim, Sask., to show his farm and farm and his new high-efficiency grain dryer, made possible by ACT funding of $251,000.

Wendland, who runs a 7,000-acre farm with his father in an area roughly 50 kilometres north of Saskatoon, said the grain dryer has helped the farm, especially during difficult harvests.

“When we first started farming, we lucked out with some really easy harvests,” Wendland said.

“As we slowly got into tougher harvests, namely 2018 and 2019 come to mind, when we had snow in the middle of September. We quickly realized we were going to need something bigger, faster and just more efficient to accommodate the combine power we had.”

Beginning in 2020, Wendland and his father explored the idea of finding a grain dryer, before landing on a large unit that can handle up to 1,800 bushels at once. Now, the added stress and anxiety of harsh weather-damaged crops and difficult growing conditions are lessened because of the new grain dryers.

Bibeau started her day in Farnham, Quebec, where she was shown a new outdoor grain dryer and equipment made possible through ACT funding of up to nearly $421,000.

The ACT program is part of Ottawa’s climate plan. The plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in spending, in addition to the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s $6 billion for clean infrastructure.