Pincher Creek’s Bio-Agtive Rethinks Farming and Emissions with Next Gen of Ag-Tech

In Alberta, where rolling prairies meet the foothills of the Rockies, an agricultural revolution may be taking place.

Pincher Creek, a small town of rugged beauty and agricultural heritage, is the epicentre of groundbreaking farming technology that is raising the return on investment for farmers in Canada.

The town, with a population of less than 4,000, is home to Bio-Agtive Emissions Farming, a firm innovating agricultural technology.

Bio-Agtive was initially conceived in the early 2000s when fourth-generation farmer Gary Lewis experimented with capturing emissions from gas motors to enrich his farm’s soil.

By retrofitting farming equipment with a novel system for fuel tanks, Bio-Agtive captures and converts emissions into a bio-stimulant called Carbon Water. This solution, when vaped back into the soil, enhances microbial activity, leading to biological nitrogen fixation. The process reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers and also boosts soil organic matter for better long-term soil health.

“This incredible piece of equipment is custom mounted to any farm machinery and implements to form the ultimate delivery system for powerful biological inputs that are delivered from tractors, sprayers, and even combine-harvesters to empower farmers to work more efficiently,” reads the company’s website, “while adding resilience and value to the natural capital of their landscape.”

Bio-Agtive’s technology, now in its 6th generation as of 2024, is being adopted by farmers worldwide—including locally.

For example, a 2,800-acre farm run by brothers Justin and Scott Eckert now functions without synthetic fertilizer thanks to Bio-Agtive. Moreover, they claim yields are higher while costs are down.

“Our return on investment is way higher,” Justin informed The Logic in August.

With fertilizer and other associated costs higher than ever, “an entire software industry has emerged around more efficient distribution,” offers Jesse Snyder for The Logic. We can confirm that emerging tech such as artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the field of agriculture in Alberta and beyond.

“Worldwide, the Bio-Agtive Method is allowing producers to leave behind conventional farm practices to the benefit of a regenerative approach to enhance soil health, biologically grow nutritious food, and drawdown CO2 from the atmosphere,” Bio-Agtive claims.