The Friends of the Galt Museum Society has selected an engaging lineup of local agricultural entrepreneurs for its new fundraiser speaker series to be held monthly at the Galt Museum & Archives as part of the Galt's Thursday evening program.
"Agricultural innovations have created quite a stir in southern Alberta," says Dr. Glenn Coulter, President of the Friends of the Galt, and Chair of the Speaker Series. "We are pleased to highlight these with our new speaker series, which also provides us another opportunity to support Galt Museum education initiatives."
The program was developed in consultation with a number of community organizations, including the University of Lethbridge. The first three speaker series events are as follows:
Thursday, Jan. 19
Coal Banks to Cow Manure: Is this Full Circle?
SPEAKER: Stefan Michalski, a consultant with ECB Enviro North America Inc., a bio-based co-generation facility being built in North Lethbridge.
Michaleski's discussion will focus on the conversion of manure and other biological by-products of agriculture into energy, such as electricity and hot water.
ECB Enviro North America Inc., founded in 2001, has access to European Bio-Energy technologies such as highly innovative biogas and biodiesel processes and to new Canadian Hydrolysis Technology.
It plans to develop, engineer, built and operate Bio-Energy facilities all over Canada and North America and initiate agro-industrial clustering, rural revitalization, alternative sustainable energy production opportunities and local employment.
Thursday, Feb. 16
Current and Future Status of Biofuels
SPEAKER: Jim Thacker, Director at Kyoto Fuels Corporation, formed in 2003 and located in Lethbridge.
The Corporation recently received a $31 million 6-year investment from the Government of Canada, allowing it to produce up to 66 million litres of biodiesel annually by converting vegetable or cooking oil or animal fat into biodiesel.
It intends to sell the product to diesel producers in Western Canada and the northwestern United States. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from biodiesel can be as much as 80 percent over regular diesel.
Thursday, March 15
Thebaine Poppy Innovation
SPEAKER: Glen Metzler, President, API Labs Inc. an early-stage pharmaceutical fine chemicals processing company establishing the groundwork to create a thebaine industry in Western Canada.
Glen Metzler has been involved in market development and research in Canada and internationally. He has worked with major companies in both the United States and Canada in product development and product launches and has an agricultural background.
Each program starts at 7:30 p.m. with networking opportunities, a presentation and then discussion. Tickets are priced at $20/person for each program and will be available at the door.
