Reading Time: 4 minutes The pandemic has revealed critical weaknesses in the country’s agriculture and food systems — and the need to invest in their future, say experts. “It’s continuing to show the importance of technology, and adopting technology, on the farm,” said Remi Schmaltz, CEO and co-founder of Decisive Farming, an Alberta digital ag and farm management company. […] Read more
Will we seize the day when it comes to smart ag technology?
Investing in next-generation agriculture would pay big dividends, but investment dollars will be in short supply
Olds College acquires self-driving DOT platform
Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College has acquired a DOT Power Platform for its Smart Farm. The self-driving platform can be equipped with a variety of implements. In addition to the platform, the college has acquired a DOT Seeder-SeedMaster Ultra DSR, DOT Sprayer-Pattison Connect, and the DOT-ready New Leader NL5000 nutrient applicator. “Our goal is to demonstrate how this […] Read more
Olds College Smart Farm expanding thanks to gift of land
Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College Smart Farm is expanding thanks to a gift of 320 acres of farmland from George and Marge Steckler. The Smart Farm was launched in 2018 with 110 acres and has since expanded to more than 2,000 acres. It features soil monitors, digital weather stations, wireless grain bin sensors, multispectral imaging, precision ag tools, […] Read more
“Smart” ag school now accepting applications
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new school dedicated to agricultural tech is now open for business and accepting applications from students wanting to specialize in precision ag and other leading-edge technologies. “This is a historic day for Olds College,” said college president Stuart Cullum. “The launch of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology is a profound statement of our […] Read more
The farm data overload needs a fix
Ag tech event shows future of farming is data driven — but 'we're not there yet'
Reading Time: 5 minutes Jay Bruggencate has a bit of a bone to pick with the ag-tech industry. “We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into smart equipment that knows what it’s doing but can’t talk to each other,” said the Lacombe-area farmer at the recent AgSmart event at Olds College. “There’s so much data now available to us […] Read more
Feds back $108-million push to automate farming
A consortium of groups, including three from Alberta, want to usher in a new era of advanced ag technology
Reading Time: 4 minutes It may not seem a priority given the weather and trade challenges farmers are facing — but now is the time to launch a new era of smart farms, AI, and robotics, say backers of a new $108-million tech fund. Ottawa is giving $49.5 million to the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN), and […] Read more
Event offers chance to get up close to leading-edge ag tech
Olds College offering hands-on demos and displays of the ‘latest and greatest’ in advanced technology
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ag technology is advancing faster than ever before — but farmers still aren’t always sure how to make these innovations work on their own operations. “Technology is such a huge component of agriculture going into the future. It’s making agriculture more sustainable, more productive and more profitable,” said Joy Agnew, director of applied research at […] Read more
Olds College receives $1.2 million for Smart Farm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College has been given $1.2 million in land in Mountain View County it will use to expand its Smart Farm, a high-tech operation employing and testing cutting-edge technologies. The 316-acre parcel was donated by the estate of Willem Pitstra. “Both my parents would be thrilled to know that the farmland will be contributing to […] Read more
College adds ‘data lab’ to Smart Farm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada is donating $200,000 over the next four years for a “data lab” at Olds College’s Smart Farm. The lab is a technologically advanced workspace, available for students, instructors, and industry partners “to meet, collaborate and learn,” the college said in a news release. “The AgExpert Data Lab brings together data from our […] Read more
New post-diploma program for agriculture technology
Applications open in fall 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province has approved Olds College to offer a new post-diploma certificate in Agriculture Technology Integration. Designed for students who already hold a diploma or degree, the new certificate will provide them with an understanding of how related technologies and components interact to provide accurate information and real-time monitoring and controls to the agriculture producer. […] Read more
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