Pillars for Success

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE TECHNOLOGY

Olds College is incredibly proud of the research teams, instructors and staff that drive applied research encompassing crop production, livestock production, environmental stewardship, cereal breeding and technology integration. Expertise on the Smart Farm continues to grow with research team members, managers, scientists and technicians as well as students, interns and seasonal staff running the various applied research projects throughout the year. The notable designations of the professionals and experts at Olds College include: Ph.D., M.Sc., B.Sc., Diploma, P.Ag., P.Eng., MBA, and a combined total of decades of practical science and agricultural experience. Olds College has extensive physical assets that provide the testing ground and living labs for applied research, training and education. Combined with world-class talent and subject matter experts, these assets create an unparalleled opportunity for technological innovation and development. This asset list includes: • Smart Ag Innovation Centre • Field Crop Development Centre • Technology Access Centre for Livestock

Production (TACLP) • Labs & 1,000-head capacity feedlot • Beef & Livestock Centre • National Meat Training Centre • Farm Operations Centre & Equipment • Brewery • Greenhouses • Soils, Plants & Chemistry Labs • Incubator Space • Equine & Rodeo Centre • Conference Services • Continuing Education Services Olds College is always open to new projects and partnerships, and has top facilities to deliver real-world results. Expertise on the Smart Farm continues to grow with research team members, managers, scientists and technicians as well as students, interns and seasonal staff running the various applied research projects throughout the year.

THE AREAS OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE AT OLDS COLLEGE

Agricultural Engineering Agriculture Business Management Animal Health, Science & Welfare Crop Production Data Science & Agronomy

Instrumentation

Land & Water Reclamation

Livestock — Genetics,

Reproduction, Nutrition, Production & Management Machine Automation

Molecular & Environmental Plant Science Plant Pathology, Entomology & Nematology Precision & Digital Agriculture Project & Ag Business

Management

Rangeland Health

Remote Sensing Technology

Soil Science Technology Development Telematics & GIS/GPS

BUILT ON PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships are truly the foundation of the work at Olds College. Whether financial, academic or experiential, these partnerships raise the bar for what can be delivered throughout the year.

To date, Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) has engaged with over 185 clients, partners and organizations which resulted in over 100 companies and organizations becoming engaged in a project with OCCI. Olds College Smart Farm Partnerships include: • 148 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) • 8 donors • 22 industry networks • 13 research collaborators • 16 sponsors

A few highlights include:

George and Marge Steckler —

The Stecklers have been integral to the growth of the Olds College Smart Farm. They donated 800 acres of land in Craik, Saskatchewan which formed the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm, and the 310 acre Steckler Farm near Didsbury, Alberta which was farmed by the College for the first time in 2021. Smart technology was used to track and monitor Steckler Farm during the growing season, and allowed Marge Steckler to see the progress in real time from her home. As well as farmland, the Stecklers also created a $100,000 endowment that provides $5,000 in bursaries for students each year. $2M donation — Bob and Carollyne Collier gifted Olds College $2 million in 2022. Bob was an entrepreneur and admired the innovation taking place at the College. The funds will go towards the development and delivery of enhanced academic programming. Additionally, the funds will support smart ag applied research and the development of the Olds College Smart Farm as an innovative learning, demonstration, and applied research environment for students, producers, and the agriculture sector in Alberta and around the globe. In recognition of their $2 million gift, the heart of the new Ag Tech Learning Hub will be named the Bob & Carollyne Collier Student Commons, and will be a central gathering space for students, faculty and guests of Olds College.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

is used to connect two schools who agree to work together on certain projects. • Olds College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic signed a MOU to collaborate in joint activities on the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart

Farm including student work-integrated learning, technology demonstration and validation, and applied research activities. • Another MOU was signed between Olds

College and the University of Saskatchewan to collaborate on joint activities related to automation and increased incorporation of digital data in agriculture. One of the first areas of collaboration will be supporting livestock research. • Olds College also signed a MOU with

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences to facilitate student exchange between the two institutions, and help students expand their world views and enhance cross collaboration opportunities.

Olds College is proud to be listed as one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges

in 2021 according to Research Infosource Inc. Olds College is one of five Alberta colleges that made the national list, and was also ranked in the top 10 of small size colleges for number of research partnerships and number of completed research projects. The Producer Panel at Olds College is a critical partnership that connects academics, research and innovation back to the farmers, ranchers and producers they are ultimately serving. Producers from crop and livestock backgrounds in Alberta and Saskatchewan began meeting in 2021 to discuss and provide feedback on the applied research being done at OCCI to ensure it’s applicable and useful for producers.

THE PAN-CANADIAN SMART FARM NETWORK

The Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network — led by Olds College Smart Farm — is a network of Smart Farms committed to sharing data and expertise that will help farmers, industry and creators better understand, use and develop smart agricultural technologies. With funding from the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN), the network also includes Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm located at Langham, Saskatchewan, and the Lakeland College Student-Managed Farm — Powered by New Holland at Lakeland’s Vermilion campus in eastern Alberta. The overall goal of the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network is to build a collaborative framework among Canada’s Smart Farm initiatives for sharing of data and expertise to help farmers, industry, and technology developers better understand, utilize, and develop smart agriculture technologies and systems. These technologies and systems will help producers manage their risk of production to improve the productivity and sustainability of their farms. The latest project for the network is Comparisons of In-Field MicroClimate Variability and External Weather Stations. This project is comparing data from in-field to out of boundary stations at the three network sites, and evaluating disease modeling via disease scouting. This will provide producers with improved accuracy of localized weather data to make informed farm management decisions. Contact Olds College Centre for Innovation to find out more about the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network or inquire about joining the network.