What is your "footprint?"

Assiniboine Community College (ACC) in Brandon, Man., hosted its Prairie Innovation Forum March 18-19.  The theme was "Reducing our Footprint." Kristen Williamson of Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives unveiled the HOLOS Greenhouse Gas Calculator (GHG) at the conference. I didn't see the presentation, but an ACC release says the interactive software allows virtually any type of farm operation to calculate its greenhouse gas emissions and can suggest ways to help reduce some of them. The software, which is being developed by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, will be tested by 1,500 farmers across the country. Their suggestions and feedback will then be used to refine the calculator, which should be available for general use by 2010. 

Meanwhile, you can test your own personal footprint at the Global Footprint Network. Currently, the only countries available for the calculator are the U.S. and Australia. I clicked on the U.S. and answered the questions honestly. It says if everyone lived like me, we'd need 5.6 planets to supply the resources. 

Local produce, year round

The forum summary that ACC sent also noted that the college is building a greenhouse to incorporate the latest renewable energy technologies. The college’s culinary arts, horticulture and agriculture & environment programs will use the greenhouse to develop year-round food production systems. If the system works at ACC, it would provide a cost-effective model to provide local produce all year for rural and northern communities.