That’s $1 million above the campaign goal. As of April 30, 1,096 people had made 2,967 donations. 

The fundraising initiative is focused on three priorities: Expanding student success, empowering the next leaders in agriculture, and growing results-oriented research. 

“Because of our donors’ generosity, Lakeland students have access to more opportunities and services,” said Mike Kotelko, chair of the campaign leadership team and a member of Lakeland’s Class of 1982. “They’re learning in new and modernized facilities. And research capacity has grown at Lakeland, with the primary goal of advancing real-world agricultural productivity and sustainability.”

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The $1.75 million five-year renewable grant will be used to create the Integrated Agriculture Technology Centre (IATC), which will help farmers, growers and food processors across the country tap into the latest research and recognized expertise at the college.

“This announcement is extremely significant and welcome news,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “It signifies to Canada’s agriculture industry that we are here to support their needs and find solutions to the challenges they face. The Integrated Agriculture Technology Centre will help to drive forward one of the country’s most important industries and provide a boost to the provincial economy.”

The IATC will offer clients from across the agriculture industry – including large and small-scale crop producers, greenhouse growers, aquaculture operations, food processors, and ag-tech companies – access to applied research and development, technical services and consulting and training and education, with a focus on the college’s core research areas of aquaculture, crop production and wet processing.

“Agriculture is one of our region’s largest industries with more than 900 farms, many of which are small- or medium-sized enterprises, generating $1.1 billion per year,” said Dr. Kenny Corscadden, Lethbridge College Associate Vice President Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “Through the support of NSERC, the IATC will offer clients access to expert consultants, customized services, specialized equipment and facilities, and unique technologies in areas such as waste treatment, irrigation, water processing, automation and food safety.”

The IATC will operate within the college’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation (CARIE) and is part of a network of 60 TACs nationwide through Tech-Access Canada, each serving a specific geographic area with a focus on strengthening a sector of significance to that region.

The post Lethbridge College gets federal funds for Technology Access Centre appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The award was presented to Josie Van Lent at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar last month.

The award recognizes those who have made a substantial contribution to the western Canadian dairy industry in the areas of education, training or technology transfer.

Van Lent led the effort to establish the Dairy Learning Centre at the college’s Vermilion campus, which has state-of-the-art technology in robotic and conventional milking and feeding systems.

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It didn’t take long for Canada to make a favourable impression on Armin Mueller.

“I came to Canada in 1975 to work on a dairy in Quebec,” he said. “Ten days after I arrived, I mailed my first letter home to my family in Switzerland. I wrote that I wasn’t coming back. I also remember the first letter I got back from home. My brother said, ‘You know, you’re a dumb dreamer. You’ll be back.”

Armin’s brother Xavier was wrong — and 45 years later, Mueller has no regrets.

“There was no room for me over there. I needed to make my own opportunities elsewhere,” said Mueller, who moved to Alberta in 1977 to work on another dairy.

Rita Sigrist also grew up on a small farm in Switzerland, and came to Canada in 1977 on an international agricultural exchange program to work at a grain farm near Bassano. She and Armin met in 1978 when both were visiting their families in Switzerland. They married in 1980 and settled on a dairy farm near Bentley that Armin purchased in 1979. They named it Pilatus Farms after the Swiss mountain between their families’ farms.

Things started out well for the Muellers as the dairy industry was booming. But an expansion was followed by record-high interest rates — within a few years they were paying up to 24.5 per cent interest on a $1-million loan.

“We didn’t take many holidays. We worked hard and put in long days all year long. We didn’t know anything else. But we were happy,” said Armin.

None of their three children wanted to dairy farm, so Armin and Rita sold the cows and milk quota in 2000 and bought 300 head of bison, an animal that’s always fascinated Armin.

“As a little boy, I was captivated with the West. I was reading books and watching western movies. Bison always had a significant role.”

Along with the herd, they also invested in Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk, a marketing company.

Bad news often comes in threes, and that was the case for the Muellers. Drought, BSE and the near collapse of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk occurred shortly after they began raising bison.

“We had bison and we needed a place for the meat, so, without any experience whatsoever, we took over the company and kept it going,” said Armin.

Today Canadian Rangeland Bison sells prime bison meat throughout North America and Europe. The Muellers were also founding partners in 2006 of Canadian Premium Meats, a processing company. They sold their investment in that company five years ago.

Although Armin jokes that investing in bison was the result of a midlife crisis, there’s nothing he’s enjoyed more during his career than raising and marketing bison.

“I love everything about bison. The way they run, the way they behave, the way they roll in the dirt,” he said. “And I really love the meat. It’s high in protein, high in iron and the way we raise bison is as close to nature as we can get.”

Armin and Rita’s daughter Michelle and her husband Steven are now involved in Pilatus Ranches and Canadian Rangeland Bison.

“Michelle and Steven have a real love for bison. I guess Michelle got a little bit of that from her old man,” Armin said with a smile.

Strong partnerships helped the Muellers succeed.

“To be successful you need the right partners. You need the right partner in marriage, and in business. You also need the right employees and I’ve been fortunate in all of these areas,” said Armin.

Rita said their journey has always been interesting.

“I think you get into this together and you don’t think ahead, you just do it,” she said. “You work through it. It wasn’t always easy, but if we look back now, 40 years later, I wouldn’t have wanted anything different. It’s been great. Canada’s been good for us.”

The Muellers consider their gift to Lakeland College an investment in the future of the bison industry. Students will learn more about bison and take that knowledge with them throughout their careers.

“I think this will really help strengthen the Canadian bison brand,” he said.

Armin’s advice to students is to try new paths, think outside the box, and don’t be afraid of failure.

“If it doesn’t work out but you learn from your mistakes, it’ll make you a stronger person.”

And, of course, never quit dreaming.

The post From the Alps to Alberta: This couple pays it forward appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Students involved in the commercial beef unit of the student-managed farm received the payment in March after an animal they sold was processed through certified sustainable operations of the beef-supply chain. That triggered Lakeland’s first cheque through the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration Pilot, which is an initiative in which cattle are produced according to Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef standards (and tracked from farm to slaughter).

“Receiving the cheque is validation of the process we completed to operationalize sustainability and traceability programs at Lakeland College,” said Bevin Hamilton, program head of the animal science technology program at the Vermilion campus.

It was a process that began a few years ago when an advisory committee recommended that Lakeland become more involved in sustainable beef programs.

“We talked about these programs in class, but hadn’t done anything on our student-managed farm,” said Hamilton. “Having livestock enterprises that our students manage, we can let our students get involved and implement the programs. That’s what we decided to do.”

In September 2017, work began to attain Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) certification. Three students led the process, doing online training and workshops, filling in the VBP+ enrolment form and completing a self-assessment. In spring of 2018, following an on-site audit, Lakeland became the first post-secondary institution in Alberta to receive VBP+ certification

Last fall, students entered age verification information on calves from the commercial beef herd into the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency system and provided the Business Infoxchange System (TrustBIX) with their CCIA account number and their permission to share data. TrustBIX can then track the age-verified calves along with verification that they have come from a VBP+ certified herd, which is the basis for payments under the pilot program operated by Cargill.

Having students lead the sustainable beef efforts is key, said Geoff Brown, associate dean of Lakeland’s School of Agricultural Sciences.

“We’re exposing 60 to 70 students every year to these programs so when they go back to their farm or work elsewhere in the industry, they have working knowledge of these programs,” he said. “When their parents or a co-worker says these sustainable beef programs will never work, our students can say, ‘Yes they do, and we got the cheque to prove it.’”

And while the first payout was small (a second cheque arrived in June), it’s a motivator, he added.

“Our students got to see that there is a payoff and I think that’s huge. Now they’ll be trying to figure out how to get more cattle to qualify for the program.”

Michelle Duckworth, who graduated this year, is already seeing the payoff of this initiative. She’s now the cattle manager at L-7 Land & Cattle Inc., a company that is VBP+ certified and participates in the CRSB program.

“Having the opportunity to learn and implement these programs at Lakeland gave the practical experience that has allowed me to start my career off strong,” she said. “I believe that programs like these are putting us ahead of the game and will one day be the industry standard as sustainable beef is the future.”

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Earlier this month, the Class of 1966 Lakeland College alumnus donated $500,000 to buy land for the college’s student-managed farm.

“I have put it in my mind that I am giving away a farm,” said Kubica, who retired from farming with his brother Rick in the Thorhild area in 2017.

It is vital for the college to continue its work in expanding agricultural student-led learning opportunities, he said.

“I hope to help these programs where students are able to benefit from hands-on learning and leadership opportunities,” said Kubica. “Lakeland’s agricultural sciences programming is essential for future generations of farmers and other agricultural professionals. I have the opportunity to help a lot of students and I am proud to do so.”

With his gift and those of other donors, Lakeland was able to purchase two adjoining quarters with 309 acres of quality cropland located six kilometres west of the Vermilion campus and within close proximity to other college land.

“By increasing our land base, we won’t have to put the brakes on our students’ innovation,” said college president and CEO Alice Wainwright-Stewart. “They will have the acres they need to continue to try new things and test different ideas, which we know is an essential element of our award-winning programming.”

Though it has been more than five decades since Kubica studied agriculture at Lakeland’s Vermilion campus, he remembers his college experience fondly.

“All of the things that we did in class, I was able to use afterwards,” he said. “I learned about livestock, plant science, economics — you had a full day. I remember the welding shop well, too. It all really helped a lot.”

Kubica is a long-standing supporter of the college, donating to its annual fundraising campaign and establishing a scholarship in 2015.

Since Lakeland last grew its land base in 2010, student numbers and crop and livestock applied research have grown substantially. Crop technology and animal science technology enrolment increased from 90 students in 2011 to 266 students in the fall of 2018. With the increase in enrolment, the addition of a livestock applied research herd, and the doubling of Lakeland’s dairy herd because of the new Dairy Learning Centre’s capacity, more of Lakeland’s land base was being used for pasture and feed production. This additional land was needed to support the crop technology program and the crop unit.

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Having the school’s herd of 220 beef cattle fall under this certification makes it “an example for future producers,” said Melissa Downing, Alberta VBP+ co-ordinator. “We can help influence students going through the program so they can become familiar with it.”

The college plans to conduct annual VBP+ training workshops with staff and students.

The post Lakeland College gets VBP+ certification appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“This donation is really about helping Lakeland College address its need to grow its farm operations,” Sweet said.

Animal science technology and crop technology students currently have access to 2,000 student-managed acres of crop and pasture land at the Vermilion campus, where the G.N. Sweet Livestock Research Facility is located.

Since Lakeland last grew its land base in 2010, the number of animal science technology and crop technology students has increased from 90 to 266 students. There are 559 students in seven agricultural sciences programs at the Vermilion campus this fall.

Increasing enrolment combined with growing livestock herds, including an 80-head research herd, 290-head dairy herd, 90-head commercial beef herd and a 40-head purebred beef herd, have put pressure on Lakeland’s land base.

The college also recently opened its new $8.2-million Animal Health Clinic at the Vermilion campus. The 14,500-square-foot facility replaces one built in the 1960s and has the latest technologies, including bovine ultrasound machine and a digital radiography X-ray system.

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“We’ll have new technology that’ll only enhance student learning from an ultrasound machine to a digital radiography, and supportive flooring for our large animals,” said Elaine Suddaby, program head of animal health technology.

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From January to April, about 50 second-year students in animal science technology, crop technology, and other programs worked together to complete the EFP on the college’s student-managed farm at the Vermilion campus. The experience enabled the students to see what best management practices were in place on their farm and where they could make improvements to avoid potential environmental risks.

The farm has five different units for crops, commercial beef, purebred beef, dairy, and sheep.

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