HARVEST YIELDS MORE THAN CANOLA, FLAX AND WHEAT

Originally from the Central African country Cameroon, Foncha came to Lakeland from Thailand, where he lived for 20 years. Inspired by the students he taught and the experience of a relative who had already graduated from Lakeland, he enrolled in the educational assistant program at the Vermilion campus.

“I have been working in the field of education for a long time,” Foncha explains. “I’ve seen a lot of students struggling in school and needing assistance. I want to help with that. So many students are struggling with math and lagging behind because of it.”

Foncha chose Lakeland because of how quickly he’d be able to gain the hands-on experience he needed to succeed as an educational assistant. The program includes two practicum placements.

Rustlers Win Ccaa Volleyball Championship

After over six months of dominant play on the volleyball court, the Lakeland College Rustlers women's volleyball team won the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) 2022/2023 Championship. The Rustlers defeated Victoria's Camosun Chargers 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-19) to secure gold. The Rustlers ended the season with an incredible match record of 24-1, winning 74 sets and losing four. "Just pure excitement," fourth-year middle Kaylie Lueck said, describing how she felt after the tournament's conclusion.

It was the Rustlers' second CCAA title and fourth medal since 2013. They won CCAA gold in 2017, silver in 2013 and bronze in 2018.

Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, BC, hosted the national championship from March 8-11. The Rustlers earned a spot after winning the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championship.

As they locked up the grain bins and put away the combines for another year, students in the crop unit on the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland (SMF) reflected on what they gained this past harvest season. They agree it was much more than the grain waiting for transport.

“Sometimes at the farm back home, you don’t have access to technology like this,” says Mason Edwards, a second-year crop technology student. “At Lakeland, we have a lot of sponsorships and partnerships with a lot of people and companies. We can test a lot more tech and bring those suggestions back to our family farms.” Despite end-of-season dryness, students were also challenged with high yields which, combined with a shortage of train transportation leading to stalled commodities, meant trying to decide where to safely store everything.

It was a tricky balancing act, and Edwards credits some of Lakeland’s tech with helping ensure things went as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. Lakeland’s new Demco 1050 grain cart, donated last year by alumnus Roy Kubica, was also a significant help in increasing harvest efficiency.