Joy Agnew is the new director of applied research at Olds College.

A new age of ag education is underway, says Olds College research director

Joy Agnew says ‘digital ag’ is revolutionizing how students are being trained in agriculture

Reading Time: 3 minutes Joy Agnew says her first few days at her new job were totally overwhelming — in a good way. After a nearly 10-year stint at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, Agnew began her new job as director of applied research at Olds College in early January and hit the ground running. “The shift to digital […] Read more

Learn how to get more for your grain

Learn how to get more for your grain

Reading Time: < 1 minute Making the Grade, which will be held at Olds College on Dec. 18, will see participants divided into groups and rotate through four sessions: Scott Kippen of the Canadian Grain Commission will cover wheat grading (including falling number, DON, and storage); Kevin Sich from Rahr Malting will highlight issues such as chitting and kernel plumpness […] Read more


Get an up-close look at cutting-edge ag tech

AgSmart runs next summer at Olds College, Aug. 13-14

Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers will have an opportunity to get an up-close look at cutting-edge ag technology and latest innovations at a new event next summer. AgSmart, which will take place Aug. 13-14 at Olds College, is a partnership between the college and Agri-Trade. “AgSmart isn’t just a trade show, it’s a hands-on demonstration and education exposition focused […] Read more

Olds College gets funding boost for ag tech

Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College is getting a boost for its Smart Ag Innovation Centre thanks to $500,000 in funding from UFA. The contribution, to be made over the next five years, will allow the college to create an ‘innovation lab’ in the centre. The lab will be “a dedicated technological hub on campus where students and faculty […] Read more


Olds College president Stuart Cullum and former student Catalina Oitzl plant a soil and crop evaluation sensor 
to mark the official launch of the Olds College Smart Farm.

Students will find tomorrow’s technology today at ‘smart farm’

Operation will use tech ranging from drones 
and data analytics to multispectral imaging and AI

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not often you find yourself in the middle of a field with full Wi-Fi bars on your phone. But what else would you expect from a ‘smart farm?’ “This is the classroom coming alive,” said Jason Bradley, director of smart ag for Olds College. “The smart farm is a place where students can get […] Read more

The legalization of cannabis is expected to create thousands of new jobs — from production workers to office staff. Terra Life Sciences, which is currently completing a 50,000-square-foot cultivation facility near Olds and partnering with Olds College on a horticulture course, is expecting to hire as many as 200 workers. Shown is an Ontario marijuana facility.

Plenty of jobs in budding cannabis industry

Spots in Olds College cannabis program snapped up in hours, with hundreds of jobs in Alberta beckoning

Reading Time: 3 minutes Olds College’s new cannabis production program isn’t some half-baked idea — it’s high time. “We’ve been offering horticulture programming for over 50 years, so it makes sense for this new facet of the horticulture industry to come our way for training,” said Debbie Thompson, the college’s vice-president academic and student experience. “It’s a new industry […] Read more


Cherries and berries workshop

Cherries and berries workshop

Workshop at Olds College, register by Feb. 14

Reading Time: < 1 minute Sour cherries and haskap are excellent fruit crops to grow in Alberta, with lots of potential markets for these tasty berries. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has organized a full-day workshop in Olds on all aspects of growing these crops, from planting to harvest. Participants will receive information on varietal selection, establishment, maintenance, and harvest of […] Read more

Bale of hay in farm field

Attend this forage webinar in person

'In-person' webinar Dec. 12 at Olds College Bell-E Learning Centre

Reading Time: < 1 minute The webinar season is underway, but that can be a challenge for those who’ve never participated in these online learning events (or those with poor internet connections). So the Beef Cattle Research Council is inviting producers to attend its Dec. 12 webinar on forage diseases in person. The webinar on forage diseases that affect yield, […] Read more


Genomics testing is now practical for crossbred herds, says Delta Genomics.

Genomics testing now available for commercial herds

Knowing more about your cattle’s DNA can help you make better decisions, says non-profit developer of test

Reading Time: 3 minutes Delta Genomics has released a new genomics tool that will help commercial cattle producers determine breed composition and fertility of their cattle. EnVigour HX, which was released in February, allows producers of crossbred cattle to tap into the power of genomics, said Michelle Miller, chief executive officer of the not-for-profit genomics service division of Livestock Gentec. […] Read more

‘Build your cow herd’ workshops on tap

‘Build your cow herd’ workshops on tap

Workshops begin Oct. 23 and run to early November across Alberta

Reading Time: < 1 minute Wondering how to use genomics, deal with lower-quality feed, or about health issues faced by cattle producers in your area? Then you may want to attend one of 10 workshops being held across Alberta in late October and early November. The ‘Tools to build your cow herd’ workshops are being put on by Alberta Agriculture […] Read more