Message from the Dean of Agriculture Technology & Applied Research

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

It is my pleasure to welcome you to another edition of Limitless and all of the happenings in applied research at Lakeland College. Of significance, I am pleased to report that we have expanded our research staff, thanks to significant grants from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and through on-going support from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council IE Extend grant we were awarded last year. Additional staff means more research expertise and a broader array of projects. Starting on page 14 you will see we have a lot of great things happening in applied research! To accommodate growth in our agriculture department and evolve roles, on July 1, 2020 Geoff Brown transitioned from associate dean of Agricultural Sciences to dean of Agricultural Sciences and dean of Environmental Sciences. I assumed the role of dean of Agriculture Technology and Applied Research and my responsibilities include our new Bachelor of Agriculture Technology degree program as well as applied research, the college farm and agriculture continuing education. It is my privilege to work alongside Geoff, as well as Tanya McDonald, senior executive advisor of Agriculture, Research and Advancement, in serving our education and research mandates. Our research initiatives support Alberta’s economy by: • helping industry partners capitalize on new opportunities; • advancing agriculture practices and technologies; • finding solutions to current challenges; • transferring that knowledge to agri-businesses, farms and • ranches; and • providing Lakeland students with learning opportunities that build important skills. Applied research is integrated with Lakeland’s Student-Managed Farm - Powered by New Holland (SMF). Students in the SMF Crop and Livestock Research units work alongside researchers and faculty to develop applied research projects, allocate resources, and work with partners. In forming our research strategies, input from key producer and industry organizations and alignment with the goals of government and other funders is critical. As such, I appreciated the opportunity to be involved RDAR’s consultative process, and to now have a seat on RDAR’s advisory committee. Congratulations to all involved with RDAR on a job well done in transitioning agriculture research in Alberta. In achieving our mandate, Lakeland is also very appreciative of the $1.9 million grant from the governments of Alberta and Canada to transition key research programs and personnel to Lakeland. To further progress and strengthen applied research in pulse crop agronomy and production, cow-calf production efficiencies and sustainability, animal health and welfare, and new ag technologies, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AAF) transitioned five full time staff as well as supporting resources to Lakeland (see page 8). Many thanks to the Alberta Pulse Growers, Alberta Beef, Agriculture Canada and the various industry partners for their assistance and guidance during the transition of the AAF resources. Our thanks to National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for the IE Extend Grant which provides funding and staffing for on-going research projects. Under the IE Extend we have recently hired additional staff on both the livestock and crops side to complement our existing research staff. We continue to progress the mandate of our partnership under the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Innovation Network (CAAIN), and specifically through the Pan Canadian Smart Farm project. The Smart Farm Network will allow us to incorporate and beta test technology on our college farm while contributing to a network of “smart” farms that will be able to collect and share data at a national level. CAAIN has funded other technology research projects at Lakeland and we are currently working on a “precision ranching” project submission. I am proud to work alongside a knowledgeable, engaged and highly skilled team! On behalf of our team, we look forward to working with many of you in serving our research and industry stakeholders.

On a final note, and most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our many industry partners and collaborators for your support, be it guidance and mentorship, funding, in-kind contributions, or project proposal backing. We appreciate and value our work with all of you. As demonstrated in this edition of Limitless, together we are progressing applied research that is significant to our economy and we thank you for that!

Josie Van Lent Dean, School of Agricultural Sciences and Applied Research