Editorial
Are Worms the Future of Regenerative Agriculture?
BY CATHERINE BROWNLEE, PRESIDENT, ALBERTA ENTERPRISE GROUP
Our friend Michael Launer is an Albertan and a strong advocate for green technologies. He and his partners founded Annelida in 2018, an innovative ag-tech company that is positioned to disrupt conventional thinking in the agriculture sector. They have looked at the wider issues of conventional fertilizer use and its impacts on soil biology for producers. Without natural replenishment of microbiology back into the ground, the use of traditional fertilizers leads to depletion and degradation of the soil over time. Their team took on this challenge and is producing enhanced nutrient efficiency formulas – modern and effective regenerative ag solutions derived directly from nature.
This is natural supplementation allowing for reduced fertilizer use at sustained or improved yields. Every week, Annelida diverts over 100,000 lbs of green waste from ending up in landfills and feeds that waste into a proprietary processing system that utilizes over 80 million red wiggler worms to get the job done. For every pound of green waste, their worms generate ¾ lb of worm castings (worm poop, otherwise known as vermicompost). This naturally processed organic matter is essentially nature’s best balanced and formulated plant food. Worms have the unique ability to create a powerful, nutrient-rich biology that has a large diversity of beneficial microbes. No composting piles, no smells – just worms converting waste.
These castings are the building block for the many certified organic products that are produced in liquid, granulated and blended forms. Annelida is perfectly positioned to positively disrupt the agriculture and horticulture market with their proprietary products that integrate seamlessly with current nutrient programs and equipment. Annelida has several revenue streams focusing on agriculture, horticulture, co-packing and custom soil blending. As a proud Alberta company, they are selling their products throughout Canada, the U. S. and are working on expanding to a broad network of partners globally.
spoken loudly, proudly, and concisely. AEG represents a broad swath of the provincial economy with members ranging from Syncrude to the Oilers Entertainment Group. It also includes organizations from health care, agriculture, transportation, construction, energy, law, and finance.
AEG sees itself as “Alberta’s most influential business organization.” Guilting and shaming is not effective, and the costs of subscribing to blanket energy efficient programs (such as Bill C-235) detract gravely from the end goal. To those of us leaders, corporations, and enterprises already in alignment, this is shockingly offensive commentary. After writing a two-page letter to Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met face-to-face with Deputy PM Krista Freeland in Calgary, where Smith recommended the feds eliminate the federal carbon tax and temporarily pause the federal fuel tax in an effort to address how the majority of citizens are struggling to afford life’s basic needs.
Freeland was unwilling to budge on this point and referred to Preston Manning’s initiation of the carbon tax: “It’s one of the most economically effective mechanisms for taking climate action,” she said, “…(he) saw that, and I think he is right, as one of the most economically effective mechanisms for taking climate action.”
I agree with that view and that’s why our government is moving forward.” (source: National Post) Undaunted by Freeland, Premier Smith intends to initiate an Alberta Sovereignty Act as one of her first orders of business once legislature resumes, which would grant Alberta refusal of federal laws and court rulings under the premise they do not align or adhere to the best interests of “duly delegated spheres of influence under the Constitution.” To this, Freeland politely responded, “We will look forward to working with the province of Alberta and we will look closely at any legislation the new premier tables and respond to it when we have something in writing to respond to.