The Canadian Province of New Brunswick is helping to support the regenerative agriculture movement with a new project designed to help NB farmers access affordable waste residuals for beneficial reuse. The program – known as the Soil Productivity and Sustainable Residual project -- is expected to save money and improve soil health and crop productivity. According to the press release, NB’s “Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries is investing $102,250 in an initiative that will help increase food and feed production on the province’s farmland. The project, led by LP Consulting, will identify and analyze local, high-quality and affordable industrial byproducts that could be used by farmers to improve soil fertility, soil health and productivity.” The project has three phases and is part of a $1.5 million increase in the Department of Agriculture’s 2022 budget to improve food self-sufficiency. New Brunswick has developed a Local Food and Beverages Strategy 2021-2025 that has three core pillars: Grow New Brunswick, Buy New Brunswick, and Feed New Brunswick.

In its own announcement, LP Consulting (Nova Scotia) said “We applaud the NB Government for their forward thinking in building Agricultural, Industry and Government partnerships.” LP Consulting will be working on Phase 1 through 2022 during which time they will be contacting various industries to determine if they have waste materials and obtain samples for analysis. If the materials have the potential to be a safe alternative product, they will be studied further in Phase 2 of the project to ensure they meet either provincial regulations or can obtain a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) product label.

LP Consulting has a long history of working with industrial clients to develop successful waste-to-resource programs across Canada. LP Consulting notes “Our farm clients have seen significant improvements in soil health and crop quality/yields by participating in these programs.” LP Consultants credits DivertNS for funding and supporting research into numerous waste-to-resource on-farm trials to ensure that there is a benefit to agriculture.

LP Consulting Founder Lise LeBlanc is a member of the North East Biosolids & Residuals Association (NEBRA)’s Board of Directors and is currently chairing NEBRA’s new Residuals Committee. That committee aims to identify opportunities to expand NEBRA’s role to provide expert advice and information in support of programs that produce by-products which can be turned into beneficial reuse products.