If you only had two or three seconds to describe controlled environment agriculture, “high tech greenhouses” would probably suffice.
But it’s much more than that, said a developer of a new program at Olds College, and the college hopes to be a pioneer in training the workforce needed to increase food production efficiency.
“We put a lot of focus in Western Canada on broadacre farming, but we’re at that point in time where we’re looking for more efficiencies in agriculture,” said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College and a developer of the school’s new indoor agriculture certificate program.
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“I think that indoor ag provides that kind of efficiency for land and space and just even opportunity.”
The program, billed as the first of its kind in Canada, is a four-month course designed to train people in controlled environment agriculture. It is now accepting applications for its fall 2024 launch.
Those who enrol can expect a blend of on-campus and online courses. Following course completion, students will have the opportunity to complete an optional field placement.
The demand for skills is out there, Steeves said.
“I would say there’s two groups: one that is very horticulture-focused and have that skill set but lack a little bit on the technical skill set. And then there are groups that have the technical skill set but lack on the horticulture side.
“We did a feasibility study at the college and there’s probably about 50 or 60 different corporations around the area that are dabbling in this and would love to have more people with a skill set kind (of) across that entire spectrum.”
Controlled environment agriculture is a broad term that includes a number of indoor systems that take a tech-based approach to farming.
The GoodLeaf Farms indoor farming operation in Calgary is an example of an indoor agriculture effort at its most controlled, with every possible factor in the plant growth cycle — temperature, humidity, light — accounted for without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
There are a number of different configurations. A well-known one is “vertical” farming: the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. This is the model Goodleaf Farms employs.
Steeves also points to a largely European model he’s dubbed “cube” farming.
“Basically, it’s these small, very automated boxes that are designed with all of the technology built in so it’s less manual in nature,” he said.
“A lot of autonomy is built into the unit. The harvesting and everything else is done with a robotic arm and things like that.”
It’s these kind of modern facilities that the Olds College program hopes to explore. The college already has a large horticultural foundation to build on, said Steeves.
“With that, we’re looking at some different ideas in terms of what it could be for vertical farming and container farming. We try to play with some different ideas of what we want for equipment on site so we can work with a variety of different things and we’re not locked into one particular unit.”
The program will initially focus on fruit and vegetable growth but won’t necessarily be limited to that.
“There are some very creative ideas around mushrooms. There’s even talk of insects for a protein source. I would imagine that’s a ways down the road before we start dabbling in that. But I think as we start to dial in our program and figure out what could be the most successful there, the creativity will come with time.”
When it comes to student options, the key word for Steeves is “stackable.”
That may mean students who already have degrees or diplomas who want to upgrade their skills or those who graduate from the certificate program and decide to pursue a longer, more involved course of study.
“We’re looking at a variety of demographics,” said Steeves. “There’s potentially the high school student, but we’re also really looking for someone who wants to add on kind of a stackable credential. They’re already in industry but are looking to upskill a little bit or maybe they’re just looking for a career change and want to jump in.”
Program admission is limited to 30 students for the Fall 2024 term. More information is available at oldscollege.ca.
The indoor agriculture certificate program is partially funded by RBC as part of a $150,000 commitment it made to Olds College to promote and advance research and innovation in the controlled environment agriculture field.
