Take newly named Lethbridge Polytechnic valedictorian Paul Skretting.

Growing up in Lethbridge, Alta., and graduating from Catholic Central High School, Skretting chose to attend the polytechnic because it was close to home and offered the hands-on experience he needed.

WHY IT MATTERS: With many in the agricultural industry reaching retirement age, the younger generation will need to fill those gaps — and those arriving from non-traditional routes are especially promising for the future of the industry.

“I was shocked,” said Skretting in a Lethbridge Polytechnic press release, when he heard he had been selected as valedictorian.

“I am not your typical (agriculture) student because I don’t come from a farm, so to graduate at the top of the class is quite an achievement for me.”

A grandfather’s influence

It was his grandfather who inspired him to pursue his agronomy diploma in Agricultural Sciences.

“My grandpa was a farmer, and he was the first person I ever worked for,” said Skretting.

“It kindled a joy and a yearning for knowledge in this industry. I have fond memories of spending weekends as a kid branding, fixing fences and freezing my fingers feeding cows in the winter.”

Since working for his grandfather, Skretting has gained experience as an agriculture mechanic and more recently as an agronomist — a career he plans to continue after completing the polytechnic’s Bachelor of Agriculture Science post-diploma degree.

Highlights in his program included working in the campus greenhouses, along with field trips and networking at events such as Ag Expo, Western Tractor Days and the Irrigated Crop Production Update.

Skretting’s passion didn’t go unnoticed by Lethbridge Polytechnic staff. Kristy Vavra, Agriculture Sciences instructor, said he has been an exceptional student from the beginning, constantly contributing to class discussions, leading by example and creating a positive learning environment for his peers.

“With his work ethic, integrity and passion for agriculture, Paul will make an impact in whatever area of the industry he chooses.”

This year’s Spring Convocation ceremonies will be held on May 22 in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium. Skretting will lead the procession and speak at the event.

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The show continued to grow from last year’s 300 exhibitors, as it sold out, reaching its maximum indoor capacity. Some vendors had to be turned away due to space constraints for the highly popular event.

WHY IT MATTERS: Ag expos are crucial to the agricultural industry, giving stakeholders a one-stop shop to see all the latest technology innovations and products to maximize their operations, along with picking each other’s brains on how producers are navigating an ever-changing landscape.

“We have found ways to find even more space inside the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre. Every square inch we’ve evaluated what we can fit in there, and found a way to cram it in. We want to make sure that as many businesses within the industry are represented as possible,” said Paul Kingsmith, director of event development for Excite Lethbridge, on opening day Feb. 25.

The packed centre included 326 exhibit spaces, both indoors and outside on machinery row, which was 20-plus exhibitors strong.

“I think what we are continually trying to do is make sure we have the right exhibitors here, people that are pushing the industry forward, those who are bringing in new technologies, those who are trying to make a difference in agriculture,” said Kingsmith.

Those exhibitors in the 258,000-square-foot facility represented six Canadian provinces, seven U.S. states, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia, featuring cutting-edge technologies and products powering the agricultural engine for farmers, producers and agriculture-industry professionals.

The trade centre, which opened in August 2023, was built with the Ag Expo in mind, being able to showcase huge 30-foot tall combines inside the walls of the building. The numerous meeting rooms for gatherings enables events like the FCC Young Farmers Summit and the ThinkAG Career Discovery Fair, a hands-on career exploration event for students in Grade 8-12 to be held during Ag Expo.

Thousands upon thousands of people made their way to Ag Expo every day, which included spectators also able to view the North American Seed Fair.

There were 180-plus samples that were judged in over 25 classes of pedigreed seed, and open and junior classes, as it celebrated its 129th year, making the North American Seed Fair one of the continent’s longest-running agricultural events.

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Held annually in conjunction with Ag Expo in Lethbridge, Alta., the North American Seed Fair powered by Seed World Canada is celebrating its 129th year.

It makes it one of the last remaining seed fairs of its kind in North America to operate continuously for more than a century.

The best of the best from the seed industry are on display during Ag Expo from Feb. 25-27 in the Lethbridge Trade & Convention Centre.

Why It Matters: Building a seed fair with a rich history of 129 year builds reputation and confidence with those in the agricultural industry in North America with developing trends.

“My grandparents were in the seed business beginning in the late 1950s and ’60s and became involved with the Lethbridge Seed Fair, which is now nearly 130 years old,” said Ryan Mercer, chair of the North American Seed Fair committee in a press release.

“My parents were very, very involved as well, entering samples, serving on the board, directing the fair and encouraging other seed growers to participate. It’s been in our family for generations.”

The North American Seed Fair brings together seed growers from across Canada and the United States to display top-quality samples of pulse crops, cereals and oilseeds.

From wheat destined for bread and pasta to barley used in beer production, the fair connects consumers to the very beginning of the food chain. This year, more than 180 samples were received and judged, a significant increase from recent years.

The fair helps to educate the public on the journey from field to plate.

“They get to know where their bread, their spaghetti and their beer comes from,” said Mercer.

“It’s interesting to take it right from the seed, planting it, harvesting it and seeing how it moves into food processing. Canada has some of the best wheat varieties in the world. That comes from farmers, plant breeders, private investors and government working together. The seed fair is where we get to showcase many of those new and upcoming varieties.”

This year begins a new era for the seed fair, as the Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society is producing the event, working closely with a committee of industry experts.

The fair supports the society’s commitment to agriculture advocacy and education.

“We are proud that LDAS is able to support the North American Seed Fair, as it speaks directly to the impact agriculture has on our economy and way of life in southern Alberta,” said Cody McIntosh, director of Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society.

“People are able to connect directly with people involved in the industry, ask questions and get a better understanding of where their food comes from.”

The fair also emphasizes youth engagement, featuring 4-H artwork and exploring new ways to connect with younger audiences and the broader public.

Seed entries are judged by representatives from the grain trade, seed cleaning industry and food processing sector, ensuring samples meet the highest standards.

“It’s friendly competition,” said Mercer.

“We’re all great friends working toward the common goal of providing top-quality seed to southern Alberta farmers. A little friendly competition never hurts and we have a lot of fun doing it.”

Learn more about the North American Seed Fair at ag-expo.ca.

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According to a Jan. 22, 2026, Polytechnic news release, the agreement “reinforces a long-term relationship between the polytechnic and the provincial government as they work to conduct applied agricultural research operations in response to industry needs.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Lethbridge Polytechnic is one of the top 10 research institutions in Canada.

Lethbridge Polytechnic has a 35-year history of conducting applied research in agriculture, most recently within the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE).

CARIE has managed the farm since 2020 as part of the initial lease agreement with the provincial government. Since then, the polytechnic, through the Mueller Irrigation Research Group, has expanded capacity and research capabilities for precision irrigation projects.

“The Lethbridge Polytechnic Research Farm is central to our agriculture research operations, supporting innovative projects while providing world-class opportunities for researchers and students alike,” wrote Kenny Corscadden, vice-president of academic and research, in the release.

“Thanks to our partnership with the provincial government, we look forward to enhancing our capacity for student-focused, industry-connected agricultural research.”

Added Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson, “Alberta’s government is proud to support applied agricultural research that delivers real-world solutions for producers while creating hands-on learning opportunities for students.

“Renewing this land lease with Lethbridge Polytechnic provides long-term stability for innovative research, strengthens partnerships with industry and helps ensure Alberta remains a leader in agricultural productivity, sustainability and irrigation research.”

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“On our farm in Alberta, resilience isn’t a buzzword. It’s a design principle. We’ve been building small, circular systems that integrate food, energy, carbon and data long before ‘regenerative’ became common language,” said Chris Perry in an LinkedIn post prior to his departure for Davos.

“The lesson has been clear: If something only works for one farm, it’s a pilot. If it works for many, it becomes infrastructure. When partnerships share risk, create real economics for farmers and stay long enough to learn together, adoption scales and resilience become real.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Southern Alberta networking and panel work at World Economic Forum puts Canada front and centre in international collaboration in agriculture.

Perry Family Farm near Chin, Alta., grows potatoes, green peas, sunflowers, seed canola, wheat and barley on its 5,000 acres. Invited by PepsiCo, Chris Perry said he is deeply honoured to meet among fellow agricultural world leaders and contribute on two connected conversations on two separate panels.

Partners in Possibility: Collaborating for Resilient Food Systems puts Perry alongside Jim Andrew, chief sustainability officer for PepsiCo, Andrew Walton, chief sustainability officer for Lloyds Banking Group, and Jan Christoph Kalbath, global head of sustainability and energy transition for Louis Dreyfus Co.

The discussion will focus on how collaboration across farmers, brands, finance and policy can move solutions from pilots to true infrastructure.

The Farmers First: Scaling a More Resilient Food System panel puts farmers at the centre of the conversation as partners shaping solutions.

Perry will be joined by:

• Thibaud Deschamps, a rapeseed farmer from France and part of the La Tricherie co-operative, known for sustainability leadership.

• Maria Vitória Vasconcelos, a third-generation corn grower from Brazil using agroforestry to build resilience, whose story is featured in National Geographic’s Food for Tomorrow series.

• Host Ramon Laguarta, chair and CEO of PepsiCo and moderator Jim Andrew.

“What makes this panel special is the intent behind it. To listen first. To acknowledge what works, what doesn’t and how we strengthen collaboration to scale what is already proving itself on farms around the world,” said Perry.

“Farmers invest in decades and generations, not financial quarters or election cycles. Bringing that mindset into global forums matters if we’re serious about food security, climate resilience and the future of farming. Grateful for the trust, proud to represent farmers and very much looking forward to the conversations ahead in Davos.”

It has been a whirlwind year for Perry Family Farms. Along with being invited to speak at the World Economic Forum, the farm has been featured in a Frito Lay potato chip commercial and took home the PepsiCo Farmer of the Year award.

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A one-year partnership with School Sports Alberta (SSA), formerly the Alberta Schools Athletic Association, hopes to help student athletes as they search for peak performance in their diets.

WHY IT MATTERS: Increasing domestic consumption of pulse crops with young families helps keep the market for farmers’ crops closer to home.

The partnership, which involves more than 400 schools, includes placing the Alberta pulse logo at athletic events, organizing information booths and featuring the Pulse to Plate campaign as part of the SSA’s Wellness Wednesday program.

“There’s an opportunity to provide recipes I think kids would like and that will help them fuel their success, meet their goals nutritionally,” said Debra McLennan, food and nutrition co-ordinator with Alberta Pulse Growers.

“Something that is quick, easy and delicious, thinking of a food that they may not have realized that there’s a variety of ways you can eat that food. It then links them back to our website to learn more.”

SSA is building a nutrition tab on its website where pulses can be featured.

Efforts to increase Canadian pulse consumption have been a slow but sure voyage.

In 2016, the United Nations declared the International Year of Pulses. Since then, more acres have been dedicated to pulses in Canada, along with increases in domestic consumption.

“There’s a huge increase in value-add opportunities,” McLennan said.

“You’re seeing more foods on grocery store shelves with pulses, whether it’s pea protein or pea fibre. You’re seeing snacks that include pulses that you can grab a bag, just like you grab a bag of potato chips.”

Older millennials now have children in school sports who are looking for environmentally sustainable, healthy and economical alternatives. The price of beef is skyrocketing, which pulses are not meant to replace, but complement, to create a solid diet for student athletes.

“Our producers that grow pulses may also have cattle or livestock on their farm. We’re not saying, ‘Don’t eat that,’ but recognizing adding pulses for cost is a great way to extend a recipe,” McLennan said.

“You’re making chili and you want to feed a crowd. Still buy your one pound of ground beef, but then add more beans to it. So now you can take your recipe from six to eight servings to maybe eight to 10 servings.”

Pulses can be a good food to eat before athletic activities, but are particularly beneficial afterward. They are a good source of protein, which is crucial for muscle repair, along with fibre, iron, B vitamins and antioxidants.

A lack of knowledge about how to introduce pulses to existing recipes without altering flavour can often be a hurdle for young families with student athletes.

“Did you know you can add cooked lentils to a smoothie to increase your protein and fibre? Did you know you can puree white beans and add them to your baking, again, to add protein and fibre and help reduce the fat?” said McLennan.

“The recipe developer that we work with, I always ask her, think of pantry staples. Think of what the typical Albertan would have in their pantry. Let’s come up with some recipes that are like that. Sometimes it’s a longer recipe, but most often it’s a shorter, easy-to-do recipe.”

The Alberta Pulse Growers website offers plenty of recipes for school sports families to try.

“We’ve developed quite a few meal prep type of recipes you can prep and throw into a container, throw them in the cooler, and away you go,” said McLennan.

“It’s fairly new (partnership) for us. We’re excited to be able to share some information with the new audience.”

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This year, the Lethbridge Polytechnic reached ninth among the top 50 institutions in the country, according to a report released by Research Infosource Inc.

The institution continues to inch up the list, moving from 10th in 2024 and 11th in 2023.

Applied research began with Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence in 1999, leveraging global expertise to meet the evolving needs of agriculture in southern Alberta.

WHY IT MATTERS: Southern Alberta college continuing to make its mark nationally with its various agricultural research to aid producers.

From those beginnings, the Centre of Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE) has expanded research operations significantly to encompass five themes:

• agriculture, food and environment
• business and technology
• health and wellness
• justice and public safety
• sciences, social sciences and humanities

“Being recognized for our applied research, when compared with so many other institutions across Canada, is a remarkable win for the polytechnic,” Kenny Corscadden, vice-president of academic and research, said in a press release.

“Over the past three years, we have consistently demonstrated our ability to compete at the national level. By offering applied learning and research opportunities for students and researchers in a growing number of industry and community-based sectors, Lethbridge Polytechnic is becoming an institution of choice for those interested in making a difference and taking their education and research to the next level.”

Throughout 2025, researchers at Lethbridge Polytechnic have been working on, or completing, research projects in a number of fields:

• Greenhouse lighting trials with Seyed Hashemi, research scientist
  
• CARIEDevelopment of youth-focused virtual reality (VR)
  
• Public safety exploration experiences with Dean Kolebaba, principal researcher, Centre for Public Safety Applied Research (CPSAR)
  
• Collaboration on non-destructive crop testing methods with Chandra Singh, Results Driven Agriculture Research chair and director of the Advanced Post-harvest Technology Centre (APHTC)
  
• Completion of VR training scenarios for an industry partner with Tyler Heaton, industry liaison and research adviser, Spatial Technologies Applied Research and Training Centre.

As part of a three-year College Spotlight, Research Infosource also ranked the polytechnic fourth in artificial intelligence (AI) research partnerships and AI completed research projects.

“By using AI tools in our research, such as analysis and modelling, we’re re-evaluating what’s possible — from new, non-destructive crop-testing methods in APHTC, to analyzing the ethical decision making of first responders with real-time conversational AI in CPSAR,” added Andrew Dunlop, associate vice-president of research.

“With these tools, we’re also seeing students pursue learning beyond the classroom in fields that matter to them.”

Earlier this year, the polytechnic profiled the journeys of two students , Aleksandra Calic and Sierra Stumborg, as paid student research assistants in the Mueller Irrigation Research Group and the Community Integration Through Art-Pissatsinaskssini program. Both students are counted among the 92 paid student researchers at the institution, a number that placed Lethbridge Polytechnic sixth nationally.

The polytechnic also ranked highly in several other categories:

• second in college research intensity dollars per researcher, at nearly $190,000 per
• third in college research income, at nearly $9.5 million
• ninth in research partnerships, of which the polytechnic has 62.

Additionally, Lethbridge Polytechnic celebrated a transformative $2.8 million donation from the estate of Joe and Laverna Hranac in August to support the continuation and expansion of applied research and innovation at the institution’s 385-acre research farm.

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“Different job markets, changing talent pools and a change in the demographics, there’s a lot that has changed over the last 15 to 20 years in agriculture,” Ashley Nicholls of Reach Agricultural Strategies said during his Ag Management: The Life Cycle of An Agricultural Employee presentation at the Ag Connections Conference in Medicine Hat.

WHY IT MATTERS: The swiftness in which members of the Gen Z workforce change career paths compared to millennials and Gen X makes it increasingly difficult to retain them, particularly in light of the seasonal nature of agricultural work.

The Canadian farming population continues to age, with 60 per cent older than 55. Those 36 to 54 make up 32 per cent, and 35 and younger are at eight per cent.

Replacing these older workers with members of the Gen Z generation is challenging, considering they do not like to stay in one place too long. Members of this cohort change jobs 127 per cent faster than the millennials before them.

“Gone are the days of the pasture cowboy to the pen checker, but also gone are the days of the 20-year employee,” Nicholls said.

“What they’re looking for in employment is very different. They’re not necessarily looking at the finances as much. Finances matter, because the world costs a lot, but they’re also looking at job satisfaction. Are they happy at the end of the day? Do they feel fulfilled? They’re looking for transparency and career development.”

An employment life cycle features the five stages of hiring, on-boarding, training, growing and moving on. He said there is a real cost to that turnover.

Nicholls ran a cost-analysis model from the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council using a $15 an hour employee and a $25 an hour manager, and it amounted to $12,305 in re-hiring costs per employee. Those costs add up, particularly when accounting for seasonal work and condensed numbers in certain operations.

“If you think about an average feedlot, they’re losing two, three, four employees a year. That adds up. There’s hidden costs you don’t really think about,” said Nicholls.

He said the “Yellowstone” effect has helped in recent years as the hugely popular television show and its spin-offs have brought more people to the profession. Cowboying is “cool” again among younger people.

Also, the livestock industry is the highest paid and has highest job satisfaction in Canadian agriculture for the immigrant workforce. Twenty per cent are foreign workers and 66 per cent of those are Spanish speaking. Fourteen per cent of foreign workers become permanent residents within five years of being hired.

Even if post-secondary education is not directly agriculture related, it can still be moulded into the industry for a quality employee.

“Let’s leverage that, and then if we can combine traditional work values that we see in the agriculture space with higher education, we’ve got a recipe for success. When we’re talking about identifying talent, play the long game. Seasonal is the way that we’ve looked at things for a very long time, but if you’re looking to get somebody that you actually want to be long term and you want to work with them and develop them, we need to be identifying them in long term,” said Nicholls.

“If you need someone for the fall, don’t start looking in August. You might have to take a little bit extra payroll on either side, but the quality of the employee you’re going to get is going to pay for itself pretty quickly. Identify talent early. Make connections with secondary education. Pay attention to the trends in the different degrees that they’re putting out, the different lessons that they’re trying to teach.”

On-boarding and training are often overlooked in agriculture and needs to start on day one in setting the tone for positive connections for both employer and employee.

“If we do quality on-boarding starting on day one, you’re going to reduce that ramp up time,” he said.

“One of the largest costs is ramp-up time because you have an employee that starts and it’s going to take them three weeks to a month before they even know where they are and what they’re doing. If we can set that on-boarding right away, on day one, set the tone, that’s going to give us a really big head start.”

He said 30-, 60- and 90-day benchmarks should be booked with the employee to get feedback from each other and to discuss the progress being made as an employee.

Making sure every employee has the same baseline training is important. It could be a low-stress cattle handling or how equipment is run.

Competency-based learning clearly identifies workers’ abilities, which improves workplace safety and ensures everyone is able to do all the required tasks.

In North American agriculture, every $1 invested in staff training will lead to a $6 return, be it a reduction in broken equipment, a reduction in worker compensation claims or a reduction in potential fines and lost time.

Further development past the introductory baseline concept does not have to be costly for employees. There are three-day conferences that require flights and accommodations, but there are also internal resources for peer mentorship and courses.

“It’s not just the big, flashy, fancy things; it’s the small, everyday things that can make a huge difference. There’s a ton of webinars. I’ve learned a ton from just sitting in front of a laptop for an hour. Seminars, online courses, there’s a pile of free courses out there,” said Nicholls.

“Peer mentorship can be internal or it can be external. Generally, most employers, especially on smaller operations, have the one hired hand who’s been there forever, and have the other hired hand who rotates every six months. Use that person that’s been there forever. Utilize their skills, utilize their engagement. They’re obviously there for a reason. They know what they’re doing. They know what they’re looking at. Who’s engaging, who’s helping them and mentoring them?”

The post Gen Z creates ag hiring challenges appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Neubauer currently lives on the family farm homestead, north of the hamlet of Irvine. Her husband is Mark, and they have two adult children: Logan and Evie.

The couple’s farm is mostly dryland acres, although they do have some irrigated acres as well. They grow grains, oilseeds, pulses and hay, as well as forage for their cow-calf operation.

Neubauer grew up on a small family farm near Medicine Hat, where the family had cows and horses and made hay.

“I think the deep roots I have for the industry today developed when I was young,” she said.

When she was a teenager, Neubauer taught riding lessons to young people. She loved watching the children connect with the horses and learn to work with them.

“It’s really empowering, powerful for a child to be on top of a 1,000-pound beast and be in the driver’s seat. I loved that. I realized through the experience that I enjoyed working with children and opening doors for them,” she said.

In 1992, Neubauer had the honour of being the Medicine Hat Stampede Princess.

“That was an amazing experience and helped shape the person I’ve become,” she said.

Neubauer went on to become an ambassador for Medicine Hat. As part of the role, she spent a lot of time going to schools, talking about the role of the Stampede Princess, and answering questions from school children. She also had different opportunities to teach people about rodeo.

“That’s where I cut my teeth talking with folks about something that was really important, and that I was really passionate about, and seeing they had a lot of interest in it as well,” she said.

“This was probably where the seed originally got planted, that has really grown into a real dedication and passion for industry and advocacy and sharing the story and helping people understand a whole lot more about where their food comes from.”

Neubauer said the experience of being the Medicine Hat Stampede Princess solidified her love of working with young people and helped influence her path going forward.

She studied early child education at Medicine Hat College, learned sign language and worked as an interpreter for a deaf child and for children who had delayed speech and language acquisition. Neubauer specialized in working with kids with developmental delays, providing programming and play therapy support. She also helped refer kids to specialists who could help them with their occupational therapy, physical therapy and doctor’s appointments.

“It’s a great, big complicated system. If you have a child with some needs, it can be hard to navigate. My key role, and what I enjoyed most, was providing that navigation and recommendations for families, just to make their journey a little less bumpy,” she said.

Through her work, Neubauer noticed how many kids lived in an overly sanitized world, where they just played with plastic and avoided messy play.

“They didn’t have authentic experiences to connect with plants and animals and the environment. Because of that, they can become more averse to engaging with that,” she said.

Neubauer saw an opportunity to create meaningful purpose for children, offering desensitization to some of the things they were averse to in a natural environment.

“It provided motivation. It was literally magic once we had a chance to bring kids to the farm,” she said.

She had a good friend who was a kindergarten teacher, and they conducted the first class visit to the Neubauer farm. Neubauer set up activities that fit into the kindergarten curriculum about farms and got the children out in a natural environment.

“The kids were delighted because it was real, it was something they knew a little bit of information about, so they could apply prior knowledge. They were free to explore, and they had a great time,” she said.

“It was something that seemed so simple, but was so beneficial.”

After the first visit, Neubauer began to create programming that was appropriate for preschoolers all the way up to Grade 4. All the programming connected back to the curriculum. Full scale farm tours began in 2005, and eventually over 3,000 kids a year visited the farm.

“I reduced my hours at work, so I was able to dedicate more time to this project, and it was so well received by educators in the community that it kind of grew its own legs and took off in so many directions,” she said.

This program became known as the Growing Minds program.

Once the visits became more frequent, Neubauer and her husband did an entire renovation of their farmyard so it was safe and gave a good flow for tours. The farm had pigs, goats, sheep, laying hens and bottle calves.

The program was extremely successful but had to shut down in 2020 because of COVID-19. Over 22,000 children had visited the farm since 2005. During the shutdown, Neubauer took some time to refocus.

Neubauer decided to reach out to Prairie Rose Public Schools Division to create a new kind of programming. In 2021, the Irvine School Agriculture Discovery Centre was created.

The farm is on the playground of Irvine School and is a fully functional farm of about 200×200 feet. The school is a kindergarten to Grade 9 school, with about 400 students who are a mix of urban and rural.

“It’s just become a special place for kids to take their agriculture learning to a whole new level,” she said.

The farm has feeder steers, bottle calves, sheep, goats, hogs and laying hens. There is a vermicomposting system, a large garden, an apiary and a greenhouse.

“It’s a real highlight for the school,” she said. “As a rural school division, we’re always looking to try and maintain our enrollment numbers, and this has proven to bring kids from neighbouring communities to attend the school here. It’s special.”

The farm has a student board of directors, who make and guide decisions that happen on the farm. This board is made up of Grade 9 students, so there are a lot of junior high students that are up and comers learning how to operate the farm as well.

The program runs from April to October, and all the production animals are sold in the fall, so the school doesn’t have to deal with winter farming.

This year, they held a fall festival which was planned by the students and combined a welcome-back barbecue for the families. The event included old-time games like sack races and egg and spoon races, as well as an auction for the production animals. The hogs had already been processed, so the school was able to sell their meat.

“With the tremendous support of rural communities, we raised to date, close to $200,000 for this project. And then working with Prairie Rose, which is an amazing school division, every penny of that turns around and is invested with creating agriculture education opportunities for kiddos across the region,” she said.

Neubauer also created AgPro, a program for students from Grade 7 to 9, and that has been woven into an optional class called Career and Technology Foundations, within the Prairie Rose division.

This class gives students the opportunity to try a sample of real-life jobs. When students sign up for AgPro, they have a six-week block of time where they go out in the community and learn about how an industry works, and what possible job opportunities might exist.

“We’re doing everything we can to get kids thinking about agriculture, because agriculture is a motivation of the heart. And if you don’t have that motivation, you’re not going to stick in this industry for a while,” she said.

One of Neubauer’s goals is to help young people in the industry learn and connect to various aspects of agriculture.

“We have to create a paradigm shift for kids, so that when they think ag, they think differently about it and see that there actually is the spot where they could sit and they don’t have to inherit a township of land to be a farmer. Truly, the supporting careers in this industry are what we need moving forward. That’s going to be the people who can support the technology that continues to be developed. What also is super important is that kids need to develop an understanding of what they’d like to do while they’re still in junior high, so they make sure they take the right courses in high school,” she said.

“Moving forward with intention is probably one of the best things we can do for our kids.”

Neubauer has also served as a board member of the Seven Persons Grazing Association and played a pivotal role in establishing the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce Education Task Force, where she advocates for policy highlighting the importance of agriculture education. In 2020, Alberta’s agriculture minister appointed her as a founding director of Results Driven Agriculture Research. Neubauer is also a frequently sought after speaker.

The Neubauers have won numerous awards for their farm, and Neubauer has won many awards for her achievements.

Currently, the Neubauers are partnering with Prairie Rose Public Schools to oversee project design and program development for the launch of a program for high school students called the South Alberta School of Agriculture (SASA). SASA will be a premier institution to equip students with knowledge, skills and experience necessary to flourish in an agriculture career and grow the workforce of tomorrow.

Prairie Rose School Division’s board of trustees nominated Neubauer for the Alberta Order of Excellence.

“The application was sent in and then from there, the most amazing part of it was when the Lieutenant Governor phoned, and we actually were so fortunate to host Her Honour and His Honour two years ago at our farm,” she said.

Neubauer said winning the award was incredible.

“It’s the highest honour that you can receive in the province of Alberta, but to receive that from someone who is more than a figurehead, who is an acquaintance and a friend was very meaningful as well,” she said.

Even though she has been awarded Alberta’s top honour, Neubauer is not finished yet.

At the beginning of October, Prairie Rose Schools made the official announcement that they will be constructing the Yuill School of Agriculture, which will equip students with the theory and learning that they need to excel in the agriculture industry. The school is an experiential collegiate that specializes in agriculture to create the workforce that agriculture will need now and in the future.

The Yuill family foundation donated 76 acres of land between the city of Medicine Hat and Dunmore and has provided funding to build the structure. Prairie Rose School Division received funds from Alberta Education to build the campus. Neubauer and her husband are collaborating with everyone else to ensure the programming is relevant to the needs of agriculture. Mark is overseeing the design of the project and construction of the facilities.

“We’re super excited for this region that we’re going to be able to allow for students to learn about agriculture locally, so they can stay in the region and can hopefully continue with careers that will support the future of industry for southeast Alberta. I’m on a journey, and I’m by no means done my work yet,” she said.

The Alberta Order of Excellence was established in 1979 and is the province’s highest honour. There are 229 inductees in the order, and they are selected because of their lifetime contribution to the province.

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Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is joining forces with Genome Alberta and Genome British Columbia (Genome B.C.) for the development and launch of the Agriculture Metadata Commons (AMC).

A Nov. 6 RDAR news release explained the current challenges of research data accessibility in Canada and how the AMC stands to address them.

“Genomics is the big data science that helps us understand DNA — the code of life. With advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence we are beginning to unlock a whole other level of insight from large data sets,” it read.

“However, a challenge we face is research data often remains siloed, limiting visibility, collaboration, and efficiency across the sector.”

The AMC catalogues metadata — which RDAR describes as information about soils, crops and livestock data — rather than the data itself.

RDAR says this approach will grow awareness of existing research projects and datasets, improve collaboration among researchers and funders, reduce duplication of effort and enable more strategic, outcome-driven investments in new research areas.

RDAR CEO Mark Redmond emphasized the importance of de-siloing research information.

“Siloed data restricts the potential for collaboration and innovation,” he wrote.

“The Agriculture Metadata Commons will break down these barriers, enabling a more connected and efficient research ecosystem. RDAR is proud to support this initiative, which aligns with our commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes for Alberta’s producers.”

Kajal Latimer, director of science and technology with the Canadian Angus Association, called the project “long overdue and much needed.”

“At present, Canadian agriculture-agrifood researchers lack a central resource to verify the availability of data points,” he explained.

“Because research data is often expensive and difficult to collect, this tool has the potential to reduce costly reinvestment in recollecting existing data and to strengthen experimental designs that might otherwise proceed without critical information. Further, the resulting resource may also open the door to increased collaboration and knowledge-sharing between researchers.”

Funded by both the federal and provincial governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, RDAR is a non-profit organization mandated to target strategic investments in producer-led, results-driven agriculture research. It’s investing $213,000 in this initiative.

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