A new event in conjunction with AgSmart at Olds College aims to bring mainstream technology startup support to the agriculture sector.
New ag tech pitch event to precede AgSmart
Discovery Lab brings its tech startup process to agriculture
College research should be better supported by federal funding, says CEO of Olds College
Better funding for college research will increase innovation, drive economic and improve job creation, says CEO of Olds College
Reading Time: < 1 minute College research activities should be better supported by the federal government, said Dr. Ben Cecil, President and Chief Executive Officer of Olds College of Agriculture and Technology. On April 16, Cecil spoke before the Federal Government’s Standing Committee on Scientific Research, asking for a re-evaluation of the distribution of federal government funding to better support […] Read more
Olds College to pioneer cutting-edge indoor ag training
New controlled agriculture program caters to a burgeoning sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes 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 […] Read more
New program teaches communication in ag
Olds College welcomes students to first agriculture communications program in Canada
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian students had no options. If they wanted to study agriculture communications, they had to attend programs at U.S. colleges and universities. But as of this fall, they can study closer to home, at Olds College, where an agriculture-focused communications program has launched. “Communications has been part of our curriculum for most of our students […] Read more
Soil sensor tech nears tipping point
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil nutrient sensor technology offers to save producers time and money, but do those promises measure up? The answer so far is a tentative yes, say researchers at Olds College. “It’s showing quite a bit of promise,” said Abby Sim, a research technician at the college. “A lot of them seem like they will be […] Read more
New MacDonald’s farm will need robots and other tech
Reading Time: < 1 minute Calgary high school students will get a chance to learn about agriculture – but not the Old MacDonald stereotype. “We are looking for students who are interested in robotics, technology, business and problem solving,” said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College, which is partnering with the Calgary Board […] Read more
Small islands could deliver a big payoff in feedlot holding ponds
Native, riparian plants can filter out organic matter, nutrients and heavy metals
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta researchers are using the power of native plants to turn manure-fouled water into something so clean it could perhaps be used to water crops or livestock. “We’re using plants to clean water of contaminants. In this case, we’re using them to clean contaminants that exist in feedlot holding ponds,” said principal investigator Daniel Karran, […] Read more
Olds College offers digital ag degree program
Reading Time: < 1 minute Starting next fall, Olds College will offer a Bachelor of Digital Agriculture degree through a program created in collaboration with industry. “Students will engage in real-world problems and explore solutions using digital agriculture technologies and practices,” the college said in a release. “Graduates will be prepared to lead disruptive change in agriculture with a grounding […] Read more
Virtual fence systems could be the next breakthrough in ranching
Though this technology is taking off in Europe and being studied here, it’s still early days
Reading Time: 4 minutes Research on virtual fences for livestock is gaining momentum in Western Canada. One technology being studied uses collars on animals that emit a series of audio warnings and, if need be, an electric pulse, when livestock approach an invisible boundary set with GPS coordinates. “The animals are actually able to get trained with the collars […] Read more
Olds researchers aim for better brew of malting barley varieties
Breeders aim for a package that keeps both the farmers and the customers happy
Reading Time: 2 minutes Plant breeders have many challenges, but malting barley breeders have an extra one. Customers sometimes like their varieties so much that they’re reluctant to change to ones that are better for farmers. “We are looking at things that are not only going to be good in production and give farmers higher yields and ultimately more […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
