Agriculture rethought

But sometimes it just takes a bit of pioneering spirit, which was not only demonstrated by the first European settlers, but is also shown today by a company based in Red Deer, a town of 100’000 people between Calgary and Edmonton. The mission of Pure Life Carbon is to improve the productivity of indoor farming around the world as well as lessen the strain placed on the environment. Pure Life Carbon has been working with GF Piping Systems for the last three years to revolutionize the agricultural methods in use today.

Agriculture is not only a victim of climate change but also a contributor, which makes the need for more sustainable farming all the more urgent. In fact, agriculture is the second-largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions after the energy sector. The main causes are industrial livestock production, fertilizer and pesticide production, long global transport paths and the draining of peatlands. The agricultural sector is responsible for nearly 6 gigatons of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in total (figures from 2019), according to the World Resources Institute’s Climate Watch.

Peat moss, stone wool and coconut coir are widely used in agriculture as growing media. However, these materials are not very environmentally friendly, because, for example, bogs important for the climate are drained to enable their extraction, a lot of greenhouse gases are released during their production, and they are not degradable. Also, large quantities of greenhouse gases are released during production of these materials, and they do not decompose. With the help of products from GF Piping Systems, Pure Life Carbon wants to lead agriculture into a new future.

In its efforts to achieve this goal, Pure Life Carbon has created growing media that not only improve the quality of the soil but can also sequester larger amounts of CO2. In the production of these growing media, wood is subjected to high temperatures, a process that results in biocarbon. This is where a complete solution from GF Piping Systems comes into play. The system consists of valves, actuation, measurement technology and controllers. It regulates the treatment of the biocarbon in tanks with a volume of more than 4’000 liters. In these, the biocarbon is treated with a proprietary chemistry. GF products on the exterior of the tank measure the temperature, flow, ph levels and pressure of the mixture. Process water and special chemicals are added, which turns the biocarbon into a sustainable growing medium product. At the same time, additional piping products from GF Piping Systems are used to collect spent water, which is then treated in a filtration system to prepare it for the next process.

The products from GF Piping Systems combine modern technologies with sustainable materials to ensure that industrial plants are prepared for the future. The plastic components are corrosion-free and require virtually no maintenance. This extends the service life of the system and cuts costs compared to metal components. Parts do not need to be replaced as frequently, and the probability of dangerous leaks into the environment is significantly reduced. This, in turn, ensures operational safety. “The durability, sustainability and resistance to breaking of GF products are key to the partnership,” says Fred.

Pure Life Carbon’s growing media are not only CO₂-negative, they also reduce the volume needed to grow plants by up to 90% in comparison to conventional products. “A tomato plant needs one-and-a-half liters of our substrate to grow. For peat moss it would be 15 liters,” explains Fred.

What’s more, plants that grow on biocarbon substrate will develop fully sooner, which also promises to increase sales even more, as well as increase the cost-effectiveness of production. Growing media with biocarbon have no known limit to their lifespan on account of the longevity of biocarbon. On the other hand, peat moss and other growing media can be used only once.

“We are supporting innovation with our products, which will also enable sustainable food production,” John says.

The Canada-based company continues to greatly value its close cooperation with GF Piping Systems, with the aim of further optimizing the production of substrates for the agricultural industry of the future.

Fred is convinced of both the quality of the products and the efficacy of the cooperation: “We have built a wonderful partnership with GF. The company is very well integrated into our business because, working in collaboration, we have discovered the best way to implement this innovation in order to protect our planet.”