Horizons Spring / Summer 2020

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The Impact of the Olds College Smart Farm

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Autonomous Equipment on Smart Farm

Spring/Summer 2020

Growing the Future of Agriculture Spring/Summer 2020 1

Planned Giving

Growing Greater Futures By making a planned gift to Olds College, you plant seeds for a brighter future and ensure that opportunities for education and research will be available for years to come.

You have the opportunity to make a significant gift that will transform Olds College for generations to come.

Your agricultural legacy can begin today!

Types of Planned Gifts: • • • •

Bequests through your will.

Real property such as a farm or ranch.

Securities including stock, bonds, and mutual funds.

Life insurance policies.

For more information, please contact Olds College Development at development@oldscollege.ca or by telephone at 403.556.8232.

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Table of Contents 04 Hello, Fall Classes 05 President's Message 06 UFA Innovation Day: Biodegradable Plastic Alternative Wins Pitch Competition 09 New Ag Tech Programs 10 The Impact of the Olds College Smart Farm 12 DOT Power Platform: Autonomous Farm Equipment on the Olds College Smart Farm

14 The Barley Trail: A Journey from Field to Glass 16 Surviving Two Pandemics 18 AgSmart 2020 Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic 20 Olds College Alumni Association: Distinguished Alumni Inducted into the Prestigious Hall of Fame and Hall of Merit 22 The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): One Health Consortium

Make your event memorable and discover a new way to meet at Olds College.

For more information or to book, contact: conferenceservices@oldscollege.ca | 403.556.8330 oldscollege.ca/conferenceservices

Horizons Spring/Summer 2020

Horizons is published by Olds College Corporate Communications & Marketing. The magazine is mailed to alumni and friends of Olds College.

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In person or online, Olds College is open and ready for the fall term.

Visit oldscollege.ca to learn more.

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Olds College

President's Message Over the last several months the world has seen a major shift in how we navigate our daily lives. With the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, we have all taken a step back from our routines and welcomed (somewhat reluctantly) a new way of life. There is no doubt that our society has been changed — in how we interact with one another, use technology, practice personal hygiene, and even view mental health.

I’m happy to say that when the pandemic was first announced, Olds College was quick to form a committee tasked with the job of ensuring a safe learning and working environment for our students, staff and faculty. When the Government of Alberta declared that all post-secondary schools restrict access to their campuses, we were presented with an especially difficult task of restructuring our very hands-on learning approach to a remote delivery format. With student learning moved to an alternate delivery, staff and faculty were asked to work from home wherever possible, leaving just essential workers on campus to take care of our campus facilities, manage our Smart Farm, and our many industry driven applied research projects.

I’m also proud to say that while classes and workdays pivoted to a remote format, our staff and faculty stepped up and volunteered their time and skills to help out local organizations. From donating meat, fresh produce, gloves, sewing and donating masks, 3D printing and donating ear guards, to even having Billy the Bronco participate in a drive by birthday parade for a local child — I could not be more moved by the innovative and thoughtful ways our staff and faculty have navigated these difficult times.

For many, this time of social distancing has been extremely stressful and will have been part of some of the toughest days they will have faced so far.

As we navigate our new normal, I want to send a message of encouragement and anticipation for when we can all gather together once more. The Olds College team is working on a re-entry plan for campus that is focused on offering an exceptional student experience this fall. Whether classes will be delivered online or in-person, Olds College will be ready for the fall term.

In the meantime, our College leadership team continues to progress our Growing 2025 Strategic Plan and hit many of our milestones. We continue with the expansion of our current academic programming and the development of new ag technology programming.

We continue to experience steady growth in our smart agriculture applied research programming and our Smart Farm continues to expand and engage new partners and attract new investment.

Olds College is weathering the storm and is positioned to emerge stronger than before, as Alberta’s agriculture technology focused institution, ready to produce the skills and research required for our Province’s economic future. I hope you enjoy this issue of Horizons.

Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College Spring/Summer 2020 5

Photo Caption: Kadeema Jean, Bachelor of Applied Science Agribusiness student with Rita Egizii, business strategist and Kadeema's mentor.

UFA Innovation Day

Biodegradable Plastic Alternative Wins Pitch Competition Tackling the massive environmental issue that is global warming is no easy task, but one international Olds College student is up for the challenge.

Kadeema Jean, a fourth year student in the Bachelor of Applied Science Agribusiness program at Olds College is attempting just that by using her knowledge of the tropical plant, Dasheen or Taro Root, to take on the biodegradables market by establishing DomCan Biodegradables.

How might you ask? While completing her third year at Olds College, Kadeema took part in UFA Innovation Day where she was able to submit her innovative idea to a panel of industry experts from the United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Limited (UFA) in the hopes of receiving mentorship and financial support.

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Named a semi-finalist with three other students, Kadeema was provided a business strategist with an expertise in developing value propositions as her mentor and a $500 credit to further develop her idea. She then participated in the Pitch Competition, where she was able to pitch her business model to a panel of judges.

Due to COVID-19, the pitch competition, which was originally planned to be an inperson, Dragon’s Den style event, was held virtually. After careful consideration from the judges, Kadeema and her pitch for DomCan Biodegradables was announced as the winner of the Pitch Competition.

After further research, Kadeema found that dasheen had a high starch content that would work well for durability and wax extracted from the leaf of the plant could make the product water resistant. With the inclusion of hemp fibre, a new biodegradable plastic alternative, and the origin story of DomCan Biodegradables, was born.

But where did Kadeema come up with her idea? In 2017, after her home country, the Commonwealth of Dominica, was devastated by a category five hurricane, an unprecedented amount of plastic waste was washed ashore. As a result, the importation of plastics was banned, and while biodegradable packaging was the solution, it was not up to the task of containing heavy liquids, such as gravy, which is commonly used in many local dishes.

While working as an Extension Officer, Kadeema was curious enough to think outside the box and created her own prototype using the toloma plant (a root crop) which is similar to the dasheen plant. She quickly figured out that if the toloma plant had all the qualities looked for in biodegradable products, then so would the dasheen plant.

As part of finishing her Bachelor of Applied Science Agribusiness program, Kadeema is currently completing her eight month internship at Poplar Bluff Organics Farm in Strathmore, Alberta. Next steps for DomCan Biodegradables include procuring the Dasheen plant and setting up a greenhouse at the Strathmore farm, with a goal of 2023 for in market distribution of DomCan Biodegradable products.

Through the process of participating in UFA Innovation Day and the Pitch Competition, Kadeema was provided a mentor — Rita Egizii, a member of the Royal Roads University faculty, published author and entrepreneur, to whom she is still working very closely with daily. “I was matched with an amazing mentor, who taught me the importance of research, a strong value proposition and how to strengthen the business side of my idea,” said Kadeema.

“Rita has been very helpful to me, not only through the Pitch Competition, but also in my daily life. She has been a great motivator and someone that I can confide in. I have learned a lot from her, and the bond we established through the mentorship has grown into something much bigger.”

"I am excited and overwhelmed by the opportunity to work with UFA to bring DomCan Biodegradables to the market.

This opportunity has meant so much to me! I have been able to highlight the country that I am from, the Commonwealth of Dominica and our strong resilience,” said Kadeema.

Photo Caption: Student semi-finalists pitched their ideas virtually to a panel of judges from UFA during the Pitch Competition.

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The Pitch Competition was the first of its kind as part of the five-year innovation partnership between UFA and Olds College.

The five-year financial commitment from UFA has enabled Olds College to create the UFA Innovation Lab, located on campus inside the Smart Ag Innovation Centre.

In addition to the creation of the UFA Innovation Lab, the donation helps to fund the Olds College Smart Farm. The Smart Farm uses cutting edge technology to provide a hands-on learning environment for students of the College and an opportunity for industry to develop, integrate and test new agriculture technology and practices.

The final piece of the partnership includes UFA Innovation Day, a day dedicated to recruiting the best and brightest future leaders in agriculture right from Olds College, the Pitch Competition is the final component of UFA Innovation Day. 8 Olds College Horizons

"Our partnership with UFA is a wonderful example of how industry partnerships provide a positive impact on students by facilitating exceptional learning experiences,” says Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “Our students have a keen interest in solving issues that are currently facing the agriculture industry. Through initiatives like UFA Innovation Day, our students have an opportunity to explore new ideas, test innovative products and processes, engage with exceptional mentors and ultimately express their entrepreneurial creativity in ways that will make a positive impact on Alberta’s agriculture sector."

UFA President & CEO, Scott Bolton says the donation makes sense not only as an agricultural co-operative business but from a sustainability perspective. “The investment at Olds College is an example of how we are focused on collaborating with our agricultural partners to actively engage, learn from and work with young minds in our community. Students like Kadeema and the other semifinalists are transforming agriculture for a better world and we are so proud to be a part of it.”

Congratulations to all of our UFA Innovation Day semi-finalists pictured above: Daniel Stefner, Kadeema Jean, Noah Weber and Wilson Schultz.

The Future of Ag Tech

Explore our New Programs Precision Agriculture - Techgronomy Diploma

Agriculture Technology Integration PostDiploma Certificate

The Precision Agriculture - Techgronomy program is an exciting NEW diploma focused on agronomy and technology. Graduates from the Diploma in Precision Agriculture - Techgronomy will be prepared for careers that require a deep understanding of the connectedness between agronomy, agriculture machinery/purpose built network management, and data sciences.

This dynamic post-diploma certificate in Agriculture Technology Integration is designed to provide students with an understanding of how related technologies and components interact to provide accurate information and real-time monitoring and controls to the agriculture producer.

For more information, visit oldscollege.ca/agtech Spring/Summer 2020 9

Photo Caption: (top) George Gaeke, Werklund School of Agriculture Technology Instructor flying the eBeeSQ drone on the Smart Farm.

(Right) Dr. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President, Applied Research, Olds College, and Dr. Alex Melnitchouc, Digital Ag Strategist review Smart Farm data in the Smart Ag Innovation Centre.

Connecting Agriculture

The Impact of the Olds College Smart Farm June 27 marks the two year anniversary of the Olds College Smart Farm launch. Originally launched in the summer of 2018, the Smart Farm transformed the existing farm into a farm of the future by incorporating the latest technologies aimed at improving productivity, while efficiently and sustainably using resources. The Smart Farm is now a cutting-edge learning, applied research and demonstration environment for students, life-long learners and industry partners.

Primarily focused on five main areas of applied research — autonomous agricultural equipment, sensors, data utilization, technology development and validation, and regenerative agriculture, the Smart Farm is working towards providing producers with reallife applied research to help them make informed decisions about implementing technology in their own operations.

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Since its inauguration, the Smart Farm has been busy growing industry involvement through partnerships and applied research projects, all focused on working to advance agriculture’s value chain and global competitiveness.

“We have over 35 industry partners who have generated significant investments, as well as product and technical support to help grow the Olds College Smart Farm,” comments Patrick Machacek, Vice President, Development and Strategy.

“Most recently, we received $5.1 million in federal and industry funding toward our Smart Agriculture Applied Research Program aimed to address the challenges and enhance the application of agriculture technology development and data utilization for broad-acre, dryland cropping systems typical in western Canada.”

Small to medium sized enterprises in the agriculture technology sector will benefit from access to the Olds College Smart Farm subject matter experts, a purpose built network of sensors and data collection systems, and timely research support to help them get their product to market. Going beyond simple validation and demonstration projects, research staff will help companies understand the gaps in their technology and how to optimize to best meet the needs of their target users.

The first projects under the new Smart Agriculture Applied Research Program are already underway, including a field-scale evaluation of an optical spot spray technology.

The research team will be evaluating the effect of travel velocity, stubble conditions, and spray setting on chemical use reduction, spray efficacy, and crop yield over several growing seasons.

A living lab for hands-on learning, the Smart Farm continues to act as a place for innovation, validation, demonstration and scaling of smart-connected agriculture technology through industry partnerships. It also provides Olds College students with access to a 2,000 acre living lab of ag tech.

The $2 million received from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), along with $945,867 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), and $2,174,870 of cash and in-kind contributions from eight industry partners, is the latest contribution to the Olds College Smart Farm.

“Through the grant money provided by NSERC, CFI and our industry partners we will execute a series of industry-driven, college-led, applied research projects focused on developing, integrating, optimizing, validating and demonstrating innovative agriculture technologies, processes and practices with a focus on understanding the value for primary crop producers and technology companies,” comments Dr. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President, Applied Research at Olds College. “Our goal is to provide beta testing research that will support small to medium enterprises and help technology developers commercialize products that producers will use and gain value from.”

One key outcome of the Smart Agriculture Applied Research Program will be independent, unbiased information for technology innovators, agricultural producers, agronomists, and other industry stakeholders on the functionality and value of agriculture technologies, processes, and practices.

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Photo Caption: Yvegen Mykhaylichenko, Telematics & Autonomous Solutions Specialists, Olds College, with Jeff Carlson, Joshua Carlson and Carter Carlson from Carlson Agriculture.

DOT Power Platform

Autonomous Equipment On the Olds College Smart Farm Earlier this spring, Olds College was excited to announce it was the only post-secondary institution in the world to deploy the fully autonomous DOT Power Platform as a teaching and research tool on the College’s Smart Farm.

This next generation of ag-technology gives Olds College students one-ofa-kind learning opportunities on commercially available field-scale robotics technology on the College’s Smart Farm.

Over the last couple of months, the College has been operating DOT autonomous equipment for spraying, seeding and applying nutrients. Part of a three year Smart Farm research project, the College will collect information and observations to understand the benefits and challenges of autonomous agricultural equipment. The project will also measure the economic and environmental footprint of autonomous agricultural equipment.

“We are very excited to be using autonomous equipment on the Smart Farm,” comments Dr. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President, Applied Research, Olds College. “Our goal is to demonstrate how this leading edge technology works and provide research results for producers to use to make informed decisions about how to incorporate this technology into their own operations. And of course, our students will also benefit from working with and understanding autonomous technology.”

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The College is also collaborating with early adopter producers, Pattison Farms and local producer Carlson Ag, to collect data on as many acres as possible. Pattison Farms, located in Lemberg, Saskatchewan is operating their own DOT system and sharing the data with the College.

Carlson Ag, located near Torrington, Alberta is working with the College’s Smart Farm team to operate the College’s DOT equipment, including the seeder, sprayer, and spreader. For the duration of the 2020 growing season, operations will be focused on in-season spraying of herbicide and potentially fungicide, along potentially some top dressing with the spreader.

"We are honored to work with Olds College and Pattison Liquid Systems in testing and implementing this new technology," comments Joshua Carlson, Carlson Ag. "As early adopters we are excited to grow and support the DOT platform and are having a great cooperative operating experience. It's exciting seeing the future in agriculture.”

The College has been using the DOT A-U1 mobile diesel power platform, along with the DOT Seeder-SeedMaster Ultra DSR, DOT Sprayer-Pattison Connect, and the DOT-ready New Leader NL5000 nutrient applicator. Diverting from the model of a highcapacity tractor as a power-unit, the DOT power platform is designed for flexibility, efficiency, and scalability to help both small and large farms increase their productivity.

“Pattison Liquid Systems is extremely excited about the relationship established with Olds College,” comments Tim Pattison, Connect Project Lead, Connect by Pattison. “Starting in the 2020 planting season our Connect PLU S120 Dot Ready Sprayer will be used by the College for crop maintenance. This not only brings the excitement of showcasing our sprayer technology on an autonomous platform, but gives us the chance to complete detailed application research, demonstrating the efficiencies and overall benefits of our equipment and autonomous farming as a whole.”

Mr. Pattison adds, “as a producer we feel confident heading into this spring seeding season. By adding our autonomous fleet to our farming operation, we will be able to alleviate some of the pressure placed on the other equipment and operators while simultaneously being able to increase our precision and efficiency.”

The DOT power platform and DOT-ready implements represent a significant first-step towards autonomous commercial agricultural operations. Thanks to research investments from Western Economic Diversification Canada and Canada Foundation for Innovation, together with private partners, such as Raven Applied Technology, Olds College has been able to deploy the full DOT Power Platform since the beginning of spring 2020.

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The Barley Trail

A Journey from Field to Glass No longer satisfied with the unknown, consumers have been increasingly seeking more information regarding how, and from where, their food and beverage arrived at their table.

In a fast flowing information age that we now find ourselves in, transparency on the supply chain of consumables becomes imperative to the success of that product. In the agriculture industry, this desire for transparency and traceability comes with its own set of challenges. Consumers have a growing concern for food safety and supply chain sustainability. As part of this emerging desire to know where and how their food is produced, the agriculture industry is stepping up with new advancements, such as blockchain technology, an incorruptible digital ledger of all transactions involved in a supply chain.

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The way we approach farming changes everyday, and from the very beginning, Olds College has had the foresight to look to the future for advancements in ag technology. While that technology may have looked very different 100 years ago, this vision was always the foundation in which Olds College was based on. In 2018, the College Leadership Team established a social purpose for the College — “transforming agriculture for a better world”. It meant that everything done at Olds College is to advance all aspects of the agriculture industry and to make the world a better place.

As the world is changing, Olds College is evolving with it. Also in 2018, the College introduced the Olds College Smart Farm, an exciting initiative that transformed the College’s existing farm into a farm of the future. By incorporating the latest technologies aimed at improving productivity, while efficiently and sustainably using resources, the Smart Farm is creating a cutting-edge learning environment for students and life-long learners.

One of the ways the Smart Farm demonstrates this is through projects using farm management software platforms that gather, store, and visualize production and management data, while utilizing data analytics and machine learning to turn data into information and information into knowledge. Techgronomists on the Smart Farm team then use the technologies to analyze data gathered to make evidence-based decisions to improve productivity, profitability and sustainability.

Recently, one of these projects involved the creation of a traceable beer through blockchain technology using barley grown on the Olds College Smart Farm. The project, aptly named Field to Glass, was a collaborative effort between Decisive Farming, Grain Discovery, Red Shed Malting and Olds College.

“Through the use of Decisive Farming's farm management technology — My Farm Manager and Croptivity — the entire process was monitored and recorded,” said Brianna Gratton, SmartAg Techgromist, Olds College. “This software was used by the Smart Farm team to track and record the process of growing barley from seeding, to processing at Red Shed Malting, to the final product being brewed and packaged on-campus at the Olds College Brewery.”

The inclusion of Decisive Farming’s technology provided the Smart Farm team with management tools to help manage field tasks and inventory, along with efficiently auto-capturing records. The use of variable rate technology Optimize Rx-s and Rx-f was also used to ensure the right amount of nutrients was applied at the ideal seeding rate.

Once the barley was cultivated and harvested, it was sent to longtime partner of Olds College — Red Shed Malting, for a three step process of steeping, germination and kiln.

The malted barley was then transported back to Olds College to be brewed and packaged at the on-campus Olds College Brewery by brewery students and staff. The final product — Barley Trail lager, is packaged with a QR code created by Grain Discovery that once scanned from a mobile device, provides consumers with a complete storyline of its journey from field to glass.

“We are excited to offer a uniquely Canadian lager to our customers,” said David Claveau, General Manager, Olds College Brewery. “Barley Trail is the first Olds College Brewery beer to use blockchain technology. Our customers will be able to scan the QR code found on the label of every can revealing everything about the beer, from its ingredients to the brewing methods.”

Barley Trail is available in cans and for growler filling at the on-campus Olds College Brewery retail store, Thursday to Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m. and participating liquor stores.

Visit oldscollege.ca/shopoc/brewery for more information.

Official Description Using barley grown directly at Olds College and malted by Red Shed Malting, Barley Trail is a uniquely Canadian lager. Intentionally light in body and colour, this delicate beer presents soft notes of bread and grain. While utilizing Sasquatch® hops (Canada’s first patented hop varietal, grown in BC) there are background hints of cedar, combined with floral and citrus elements, which balance the malty sweetness.

The crisp, dry finish is reassuring and comforting. Barley Trail is the quintessentially crushable summer beer.

Style: Pale Lager | ABV: 5.1% | IBU: 20

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Supporting the Community

Surviving Two Pandemics Ask anyone one year ago what they thought they would be doing in the Spring of 2020 and not one person could have guessed that we would be living through a global pandemic. While it is not the first time Olds College has had such an experience having celebrated our one hundredth anniversary in 2012, the way the College is handling the experience is a little different... but also just the same.

Coming off the tail end of World War One, between 1918 and 1920, the world experienced a global loss of 50 to 100 million lives due to an outbreak of influenza commonly referred to as the Spanish Flu. In times of need, communities can emerge stronger than before or falter in the face of struggle. The Town of Olds, Alberta has proven time and time again, that it can face any challenge thrown at it and rise to the occasion.

In October 1918, Olds School of Agriculture (O.S.A) was scheduled to open with record attendance, but was quickly postponed as the situation entered pandemic proportions. In response to the local outbreak, O.S.A. staff volunteered their time and skills to help, with the Domestic Science staff using the student kitchen to prepare meals, and instructors using the school automobiles to deliver the meals to quarantined families located on farms 15 to 25 miles away.

Photo Caption: Annelise Doolaege, Olds College instructor proudly displays her conquer COVID-19 shirt.

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By November, the pandemic was spreading even faster, and the Town of Olds local health officials commandeered the O.S.A. main building to centralize medical treatment as it was the largest building in the area and physically separate from the town.

Further showcasing the schools ability to navigate difficult situations, the local health officials handed over the reins of managing the pandemic response to William Elliot, O.S.A. president and Gordon Taggart, O.S.A. instructor, along with Dr. H.P. Kenney. During this time, the school staff helped by cooking meals, providing beds, bedding and medical supplies, along with transporting patients to and from the school. The building was also divided into separate wards for men, women and children to ensure everyone received their individual care. Overall, 144 people were treated at the O.S.A. during the winter of 1918/1919. The remaining 1918/1919 school year was officially cancelled during this time, however a well-attended two week session of short courses was held in February 1919. This was the first and only time in the 108 years of operation that regular classes were cancelled, until now.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO), declared a global pandemic in response to the fast spreading novel coronavirus, COVID-19 that was sweeping the globe. Much is still unknown about the virus, which has killed over 430,000 people worldwide so far, however, the symptoms are akin to a cold with a severe fever and difficulty breathing. While the outbreak started in late December in China, it quickly made its way across the globe, with Canada declaring its first case on January 27, 2020.

And just like that, Olds College found itself in the middle of a global pandemic for the second time in its 108 year lifespan. However, unlike the government response of commandeering the school during the Spanish Flu, the government has simply asked all post-secondary institutions to restrict public access to campus by transitioning their courses to online delivery, and having the majority of staff work from home if they are able to. While the way we offer classes and work has changed during COVID-19, the eagerness to help the community during its time of need has not wavered.

"During these unprecedented times it is important we support our neighbours and communities," says Stuart Cullum, Olds College President. "While moving our entire learning environment to remote delivery, Olds College staff and faculty also used their expertise to help several local organizations. I couldn't be more proud of their kindness and hard work to support our community."

Some of the ways Olds College has been helping during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic are: • The Olds College Retail Meat Store and Greenhouse were able to donate meat and 100 lbs of fresh produce every week to the Mountain View Food Bank due to being closed to the public for regular retail operations.

• The grounds team at the College were able to donate bedding plants that would have normally been planted around campus for the spring and summer semesters, to local community groups, who used them to create care packages for people in our community.

• The Fashion Institute’s Lori Kemp and Jesse Murphy worked together to create a face mask pattern, which they provided to volunteer sewers and the public. The team cut pieces for volunteers and helped sew 200 masks to be donated to new moms.

• Learning Commons supervisor Jon Newman volunteers his spare time to 3D print ear guards for nurses, doctors, and essential frontline workers who are mandated to wear masks while working.

• The Animal Science program donated masks, gloves, and other PPE when the Government of Alberta put out a call for donations.

• Billy the Bronco and our Athletics team joined the Town of Olds Great Neighbours Program to wish local 8 year-old Quinn a very happy birthday by parading by her house and honking. This great program set up by the Town of Olds, helps residents celebrate milestone celebrations during this time of social distancing.

As the Government of Alberta begins to mobilize its re-entry plan, so does Olds College. For the latest information on Olds College response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit oldscollege.ca/covid19.

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Maintaining Safety

AgSmart 2020 Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Government of Alberta’s mass gathering restrictions, AgSmart 2020 has been cancelled. After a successful launch in 2019, AgSmart is disappointed to delay the second edition of the event, but the cancellation is essential for the health and safety of our community. Plans are underway for AgSmart 2021, which will be hosted at Olds College on August 10 and 11, 2021.

“We are very disappointed to have to cancel AgSmart 2020, however we know it is in the best interest of the community,” comments Patrick Machacek, Vice President, Development & Strategy, Olds College. “The health and well-being of our stakeholders is always our top priority, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding and look forward to hosting AgSmart 2021 next summer.”

With innovation and education being the primary focus of the event, some new ideas for 2020 are in the works. AgSmart will be launching a virtual ag tech directory in June to continue assisting in the connection between ag tech organizations and producers. The interactive listings will include educational features and special ag tech offers for producers. The directory will be free to access on AgSmartOlds.ca until the fall.

“We are looking forward to launching the directory to help our partners and exhibitors continue to connect with producers who are engaging in the ag tech components of the industry as it is constantly evolving,” says Stacy Felkar, AgSmart, Event Co-Manager.

In August, AgSmart Theatre will be live and free to access on the AgSmart website. This ag tech educational video library will focus on big picture topics in ag tech as well as new product demonstrations.

The videos will be short and informative covering a wide range of topics.

Stay tuned for more AgSmart announcements on AgSmartOlds.ca or on our AgSmartOlds social media.

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Olds College Alumni Association

Distinguished Alumni Inducted into the Prestigious Hall of Fame and Hall of Merit The Olds College Alumni Association is pleased to announce the induction of three exceptional Olds College Alumni into the prestigious Hall of Fame and Hall of Merit — Anthony (Tony) Nichols into the 2020 Hall of Fame, Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel into the 2019 Hall of Merit and Lynn Dargis into the 2020 Hall of Merit. Celebrations for the inductees will take place during the 2021 Alumni Summer Reunion on July 17 and 18, 2021, due to the social distancing restrictions in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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Chosen by the Olds College Alumni Association (OCAA), inductees are selected for their distinguished contributions to their community.

The Olds College Alumni Hall of Fame - gives special recognition to alumni or former college staff who are 41 years of age or older and who have distinguished themselves through a lifetime of significant contributions to Olds College, the community, society, and/or their chosen vocation.

The Olds College Alumni Hall of Merit - gives special recognition to alumni or former college staff who are 40 years of age or younger and have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to Olds College, the community, society, and/or their chosen vocation to date.

Tony Nichols 2020 Hall of Fame

Lynn Dargis 2020 Hall of Merit

Tony Nichols graduated from the two and one Agriculture program in 1960. On completion, Tony began farming with his father Charles, on a mixed farm operation of grain production and cattle. Sixty years later, he continues his father's legacy of farming with his own son - Michael, who also attended Olds College in 1986. His son Phillip is also an 1986 Alumni of Olds College. When asked about his time at Olds College, Tony noted, “I learned to work with groups of people outside my family, I volunteered to work on advertising for the yearbook, and later used this knowledge in working with members of the community”.

Tony’s list of accomplishments include: 4-H Beef and Multi Club Leader for 23 years; Castor Elks Club Member and Chair; Alberta Cattle commission delegate; Town of Castor Deputy Mayor and Victim Services representative; Castor and District Ag Society Board Chair; and was awarded the 1998 Farm Family Award and the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal of Honor.

Lynn Dargis graduated from the Agriculture Production program in 2006. Upon completion, Lynn returned home to Cold Lake, Alberta where she took over operation of her family's farm, got married and gave birth to her three children. Since then, Lynn has been busy being a self proclaimed “farmpreneur'', having founded two start up businesses — Dargis Seed and Feed 2008 Ltd, and Farmbucks Inc, a prize-winning app that compares grain prices, and co-founded Helix Oilfield. Lynn has been awarded the 2020 Pitch for the Purse by Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, 2019 Farmer's Choice Award by AgInnovations Agritrade, 2019 Most Promising Startup category and the 2019 Telus Pitch Competition.

Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel 2019 Hall of Merit Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel graduated from the Agriculture Business diploma program majoring in finance in 2002 with Distinction. Upon completion, Cherilyn has been busy farming and raising her two daughters in Mossbank, Saskatchewan, growing durum wheat, chickpeas, barley, canola and lentils. Cherilyn’s list of accomplishments include: being named the youngest and first female president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association; Saskatchewan's Most Influential Women by SaskBusiness Magazine; International Director for the Global Farmer Network; Training Programs facilitator for Farm and Food Care; Board member of the Saskatchewan Bus Company (STC); Board member of SaskPower; member of the Agriculture Development Fund through the Sk. Ministry of Agriculture; 2008-2017 Chair of the Sask Agri Value Initiative (SAVI); International Director Global Farmer Network board; and awarded 2012 Agricultural IMPACT award at Grow Canada Conference, and the 2014 Queen’s Bench Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The OCAA is a volunteer, nonprofit organization which works interdependently with Olds College, representing the alumni constituency, providing advice, and contributing to scholarships and bursaries for Olds College students. Membership in the Olds College Alumni Association is open to all persons who have attended Olds College, as well as past College staff and faculty.

Now recruiting! The Alumni Board is looking to fill the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, effective September 2020. If you are interested, please email alumniassociation@oldscollege.ca.

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22 Olds College Horizons

The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

One Health Consortium The interconnectivity of the world has never been more apparent to us than during a pandemic.

Tapping into our natural need to connect with one another is a logical first step to solving some of our biggest global issues.

One of these global issues is the containment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is when “microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics).”

When this change occurs, these microorganisms, which are often referred to as ‘Superbugs’ develop AMR, which results in the medicines becoming ineffective.

Understanding the ramifications of leaving AMR unchecked, we can appreciate the global motivation to continue research into AMR and how to counter it whenever possible. WHO recommends a One Health approach to tackling the growing issue. This approach recognizes that the health of people, animals and the environment are interconnected, therefore, all activities and practices within those domains will be inadvertently affected. The One Health approach takes this interconnectivity in consideration by encouraging collaboration between all stakeholders within each domain to ensure all avenues have been considered.

Recently, Olds College has been brought in as a partnering institution in a “pan-Alberta collaborative platform focused on antimicrobial use and resistance research, policy, training, outreach, and commercialization” — The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – One Health Consortium. Spearheaded by the University of Calgary, the Consortium was granted $20 million in funding to use “a transdisciplinary, multisectoral One Health approach to promote self-sustaining clinical, epidemiologic, basic and social sciences, and translational research on AMR in Alberta that will be scalable to all of Canada and beyond.”

With 27 projects currently underway, the Consortium's research is focused on three key areas: ‘Innovation and Commercialization’, ‘Education and Societal Impact’, and ‘Policy, Economics and Sustainability’, all led by researchers across a wide range of disciplines, including veterinary medicine, epidemiology, public health, microbiology, genomics, virology, human medicine, law, public policy, economics, sociology, and anthropology.

So what does Olds College have to do with AMR? As part of the 27 projects underway, Olds College’s Sean Thompson, Manager, Technology Access Centre (TAC) for Livestock Production, is an Investigator on the One Health Consortium working on the project “Health Impacts of Optimized Pre-conditioning in Beef Cattle”. Chaired by Principal Investigator Dr. Karin Orsel from the University of Calgary, the project aims to evaluate the impact on performance, health, and welfare of feedlot calves through optimized vaccinations, timing of interventions, and implementing a weaning strategy. Evidence of economic implications are also being considered while they study the benefits of pre-conditioning as it relates to disease prevention and reduced antimicrobial use. This research is especially important due to Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD), which is a common disorder that requires the use of antimicrobials within the cattle industry. The project hopes to find evidence to support pre-conditioning as a way of reducing the risk of BRD in feedlots.

The project, which is currently scheduled to start in November 2020 at the Olds College cattle feedlot, will be carried out by three University of Calgary graduate students, along with Dr. Orsel and help from the Olds College TAC team. While Olds College students will not be participating directly with the project, they will be studying the project as part of their curriculum.

“It’s a great collaborative opportunity to work with the University of Calgary on this project,” said Thompson.

“This is relevant research for cattle producers, and will provide insights into whether or not premiums are warranted for preconditioning calves before they are sold to feedlots. Further, our students will be witness to globally impactful research and have firsthand knowledge of how a One Health approach to global health crises are carried out.”

Photo Caption: Sean Thompson, Livestock TAC Manager at the Olds College feedlot.

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Agriculture moves fast.

Are you ready to keep up?

Explore our programs today oldscollege.ca/agtech

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24 Olds College Horizons