Industry News
Terry Boland, Editor-in-Chief
1999 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge
Fourteen university student teams from across the United States
and Canada have taken delivery of 1999 four-wheel-drive Chevrolet Silverados to kick off the 1999 Ethanol Vehicle
Challenge. The student teams are blending high-tech engineering with state-of-the-art agricultural research to
convert the full-size, gasoline-powered pickup trucks to run on ethanol fuel. The students will gain real-world
experience as they convert the 5.3-L, V-8, Gen. III engines to ethanol power.
The teams will spend six months adapting their trucks to run on E-85, a blend of 85% denatured ethanol and 15%
gasoline. The goal is to build a vehicle with high fuel efficiency and lower emissions, but without sacrificing
performance or consumer acceptability. The teams will then meet for seven days of rigorous testing from May 19-25,
1999, at General Motors Corporation in Michigan.
The University of Waterloo is the only Canadian team in the competition. The Ontario Corn Producers' Association
has approved $1,000 in sponsorship for the Waterloo team. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association is a financial
supporter of the overall North American competition. Last year the University of Waterloo placed second and returned
home with the award from lowest vehicle emissions.
AAC Annual Meeting
The Agricultural Adaptation Council will be holding its annual
meeting on February 8, 1999 at The Arboretum, University of Guelph. Both federal and provincial agriculture ministers
have been invited to attend. The guest speaker is Doug Powell, University of Guelph.
AGCare Annual Meeting
The theme of "Farmers and Consumers -- A New Relationship
in a New Century" will be explored at AGCare's seventh Annual Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 16,
8:30 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Stone Road, Guelph.
Speakers will focus on food safety, marketing and biotechnology issues and their role in Ontario agriculture as
we approach a new century. Speakers include Gord Surgeoner, newly appointed president of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies,
Ralph Hardy, National Agricultural Biotechnology Council, Mansel Griffiths, University of Guelph, Ian Fenwick,
York University and
Denton Hoffman, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
Participants can register by phone (519) 837-1326, fax (519) 837-3209 or e-mail: agcare@agcare.org. The registration
fee of $75 (in advance; $85 at the door) includes lunch.
AGCare, on behalf of 16 member groups, is the collective voice of Ontario's 45,000 growers of field and horticultural
crops on agricultural pesticide use, crop biotechnology and related farm environmental issues. AGCare's websire
address is www.agcare.org.
Agronomy Talk on Soybeans
Ontario soybean growers can get instant agronomic advice when
an innovative forum returns to the airwaves on February 18th. The live radio call-in program Agronomy Talk will
take calls from listeners at 1-800-334-4435, or you can send the panel questions in advance by e-mail at: agradio@ciaccess.com or by fax at (519) 360-1736.
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