Horizons Spring / Summer 2022

Summer/Fall

21 AgSmart: Bringing the

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Olds College President’s Message

This moment is bittersweet since it’s my last message to you as President of Olds College.

My time with Olds College has been exciting, challenging and rewarding. There have been so many achievements and goals reached over the last five years — and they are a direct result of the hard work and dedication from the entire team at Olds College including all of our students, faculty and staff.

It’s hard to express how honoured I’ve felt to be the President of Olds College during the last five years. I was born and raised in central Alberta and Olds College has always been a part of the neighbourhood — a foundation of the community. I even practiced with the rodeo club on campus when I was younger. I never would have imagined back then that I would have a front-row seat watching Olds College grow into a nationally relevant post-secondary institution and applied research leader in agriculture technology.

When I think about the future for Olds College, the possibilities are literally endless. Our College community has grown our programming, enrollment, applied research, land base, partnerships, donations, investments, and without question — our impact. We have set the bar for what it means to be a focused, industry relevant post-secondary institution and have established an ecosystem for Alberta’s agriculture industry to advance and lead — like no other in Canada in my opinion.

I also reflect fondly on the Olds College Smart Farm, and am proud that I was part of its creation here at the College. I am truly amazed at its growth and activity — 3,600 acres of land, state-of-the-art equipment and technology, over 155 commercial and purebred cattle and 150 ewes. The industrydriven education, training and applied research happening every day is literally transforming and advancing the agriculture sector — along with helping an endless number of students, faculty, researchers, innovators and companies address agriculture’s most pressing issues. What we’re achieving on the Smart Farm is nothing short of spectacular, and I can’t wait to hear about what happens next.

I’d also like to take a moment to thank every partner, donor, community member, investor, producer, organization and collaborator who have made direct and substantial contributions to Olds College and the Smart Farm.

A special shout out goes to our good neighbours, Margery and George Steckler, who recently donated 800 acres of land in Craik, Saskatchewan allowing the College to cross provincial borders and form the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm. As well as Bob and Carollyne Collier for their continued support of our students and Smart Farm with a $2 million gift in support of enhanced learning experiences of students within the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology and growth of the Olds College Smart Farm. I’ll forever be amazed at the generosity and support shown by our community towards what we’re achieving at Olds College.

I want to say a deep-felt thank you to every student that has walked onto our campus, and every staff and faculty member at Olds College. What we’ve accomplished together at the College in the last five years is nothing less than extraordinary, and I look forward to seeing what you achieve in the future as you continue to transform agriculture for a better world.

In this issue of Horizons, we highlight applied research on the Smart Farm, and the work we’re doing to accelerate the progress and innovation needed to grow Canada’s ag industry. We talk about expanding the Smart Farm to encompass 3,600 acres and the growth of collaboration in our applied research activities. We announce our new certificate program in Agriculture Sales and Customer Support. We also celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of Convocation and the Class of 2022 at Olds College where our students were able to cross the stage in person again.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Horizons, and I wish you all the best for the future!

Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College

Convocation Collaborations Olds College Celebrates the 107th Graduating Class

The Olds College community celebrated the 107th graduating class in-person as hundreds of graduates crossed the stage.

Before the Convocation ceremony, a tipi raising and medicine teachings were performed near the Ralph Klein Centre. Elder Calvin Williams, from the Many Children Clan of the Blood Tribe, performed a blessing at the tipi which was followed by a mini feast of traditional bannock and stew.

The Convocation ceremony began with Master of Ceremonies, Debbie Thompson, Vice President, Academic and Student Experience, Olds College, celebrating the success of the 2022 graduates while praising them for demonstrating determination, hard work and intellect throughout their studies. The celebration was in-person and live streamed for those who were not able to attend.

Greetings were brought by Leona Staples, Chair, Olds College Board of Governors as well as Earl Dreeshen, MP Red Deer - Mountain View. In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, Elder Calvin Williams made an Ancestral Territory Acknowledgement. To follow Celia Sutton, President, Olds College Student’s Association gave greetings and welcomed the 2022 Valedictorian.

The 2022 Valedictorian address was given by Kristina-Rae Nordquist, graduate of the Land and Water Resources diploma program. She congratulated her fellow graduates, and thanked Olds College faculty, fellow students and parents for their support.

Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College, then took the stage to reflect on his time at Olds College and highlighted the concept of continuous learning and unlearning, equity, diversity and inclusion, and leading with purpose. He urged graduates to continue on the quest to learn, and to consider their purpose while enhancing their story.

“It has been my pleasure to be a part of this incredible institution, and a part of your learning journey. I look forward to following your story as you learn and unlearn, as you enhance your society, and as you lead with purpose,” stated Cullum during the ceremony.

The Red Crow College Drum Group then joined the ceremony and performed an Indigenous Honour Song.

Following the ceremony, a traditional round dance at the tipi was performed where students, staff, faculty and even Billy the Bronco joined in to dance!

Congratulations to the graduates of 2022!

Academic Collaborations

Holly Fortier Awarded the 2022 Olds College Honorary Degree

The 2022 Olds College Honorary Degree was awarded to Holly Fortier for her significant contributions to Olds College.

College biannually to present her Indigenous Awareness Trainings to Olds College students, staff and faculty.

“Holly has advised Olds College as we developed our Indigenous Strategy,” said Debbie Thompson, Vice President, Academic and Student Experience, OIds College. “She has walked alongside us as we planned indoor and outdoor spaces for Indigenous learners on campus, and provides invaluable training sessions to Olds College staff and students every year.”

“Through her passion for sharing Indigenous history and culture, our staff and students have learned so much from her teachings,” adds Thompson.

A Cree/Dene woman from Ft. McKay First Nation in Alberta, Fortier was born in Treaty 7 Territory and was fortunate to be raised by cultural leaders, academics and activists. Fortier is a successful business woman, mother and Kookum. Her greatest strength is her ability to tell stories in a powerful way. Whether it is as a course facilitator through her company Nisto Consulting or through her Two Canoes Media film production company, Fortier reaches deep into some of the tough-to-tell stories.

Olds College first came to know Fortier when she delivered her cultural awareness training to a group of land agent students in 2016. At the request of Olds College faculty, Fortier also presented at the Alberta Colleges and Institutes Faculties Association Conference where she shared her knowledge, insights and stories with college instructors from across Alberta. Since then, Fortier has visited Olds

Fortier is a brand ambassador for Manitobah Mukluks, an Indigenous owned and operated footwear retailer, and serves on the board of NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community. She is the recipient of both the 2016 Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women and the 2018 Alberta Aboriginal Role Model award. She also received the Esquao Award for Culture in 2016, which celebrates the contributions of exceptional Aboriginal women in Alberta.

“The lands that we now call Canada and the United States, Indigenous people call it Turtle Island, in the middle of Turtle Island is the great plains, and the Indigenous people lived off of one thing — the buffalo,” Fortier expresses. “The buffalo provided food, shelter, clothing, tools, toys and medicines — everything came from that one source. We say that education is the new buffalo.”

“I love that Olds College is an ally, a friend, that we are welcome here,” Fortier continues. “I love you Olds College and I look forward to working more, and more, with your efforts and reconciliation.”

Fortier received this award at the 2022 Olds College Convocation Ceremony held on June 4, 2022.

Smart

Farm

Collaborations Enhancing Climate Change Resiliency & Environmental Sustainability in the Livestock Industry

The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) at Olds College is enhancing climate change resiliency and environmental sustainability in the livestock industry through the use of innovative technology and rotational grazing practices on the Smart Farm — specifically the 308 acres at Pitstra Farm west of Carstairs, Alta. — over the next two years.

The TACLP received $440,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) earlier this year through the Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) grants for this applied research project. The main research themes are: (1) improving productivity and environmental sustainability in tame and native pastures in Western Canada, and (2) developing and validating remote carbon monitoring technologies with the potential to increase rancher access to carbon credit programs.

“Thanks to this ARTP grant, Olds College Centre for Innovation will execute a series of industry-driven, college-led, applied research projects that will build on the sustainability focus of our livestock production applied research,” comments Dr. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President, Applied Research at Olds College. “Our goal is to provide research that will support small to medium enterprises, and help technology developers commercialize products that ranchers will use and gain value from.”

With the ARTP funding, the TACLP at Olds College is using its facilities and expertise to test products and technologies for improving environmental sustainability and climate change resiliency in Western Canada. The TACLP’s applied research activities will also support multiple small to medium-sized industry partners — Wyvern, Carbon Asset Solutions, Union Forage and AdvancedAg — with plans to involve more partners over the next two years.

“The TACLP at Olds College is addressing the critically important issues of environmental sustainability and climate change resiliency,” says Sean Thompson, Manager of the Olds College TACLP. “We’ve been conducting great research on the Smart Farm with rotational grazing and regenerative agriculture practices in the last few years, and look forward to continuing the research in Pitstra with this ARTP grant and industry partners.”

The TACLP’s applied research at Pitstra Farm will help validate the efficacy of Union Forage and AdvancedAg’s products in improving productivity and environmental sustainability in tame and native pastures in Western Canada. It will also help Wyvern and Carbon Asset Solutions develop and validate remote carbon monitoring technologies with the potential to increase rancher access to carbon credit programs. To learn more, visit oldscollege.ca/smartfarm.

Industry Partners

Union Forage is a family-owned company based in Alberta that develops annual and perennial forage seeds in Western Canada for enhanced forage production, and supports grazing practises to increase profitability and improve soil health. This applied research project with TACLP will validate Union Forage’s seeds, and see how specific forage blends can improve soil health and increase soil carbon content. The project results will improve the company’s breeding program and product marketing.

Carbon Asset Solutions has a proprietary technology that can quickly and accurately measure and map soil organic carbon in croplands. This technology has been studied and validated in cropland settings, but not native and tame pasturelands. Working alongside TACLP will provide the ground-truthing data needed for Carbon Asset Solutions to further develop and bring its technology to market. Ranchers in Western Canada could benefit from increased compensation for adopting grazing practises that sequester carbon in soils.

AdvancedAg is a family-owned Canadian company that provides soil additives containing growth-promoting bacteria, ACF-SR, which promises to increase forage production and improve soil health, forage quality, and soil organic carbon. This applied research project with TACLP will enable AdvancedAg to test ACF-SR in a commercial agricultural setting, and help future product development and marketing. The livestock industry would benefit greatly from the success of this product which could help their land, cattle and bottom line.

Wyvern is an Edmonton-based space data company offering imagery using novel optical technology and satellites to enable precision agriculture and in-season crop monitoring. Over the two-year project with the TACLP, Wyvern will fly a satellite over the pastures at Pitstra Farm during the growing season, gather and process the data, and work with ground-truthing personnel at Olds College. Wyvern will use the data to develop an algorithm for the remote verification of rotational grazing practises for carbon credit protocols, and increase the number of Canadian ranchers that can access carbon credits.

Digital Ag Collaborations Machine Learning on the Smart Farm

According to the United Nations, the world’s population will increase by two billion people by 2050, and food productivity will need to rise by approximately 60 per cent. With only one growing season per year, farmers are on an accelerated timeline to meet the demand for food — all while addressing food sustainability, plant and animal welfare, labour shortages, supply chain challenges, and climate change.

Throughout this growing season, Olds College Center for Innovation (OCCI) is collaborating with industry partner AlgoRythmn Corp. to apply machine learning and data-driven solutions to enhance market and financial risk management innovations, so producers can make informed decisions to maximize profitability and minimize risk.

Machine Learning Explained

Machine learning is the application of data and algorithms to help machines mimic the way humans learn and make decisions. It identifies patterns in the data to generate structure and predictions without the need for human intervention. Using various datasets, machine learning algorithms autonomously improve their performance.

Machine learning already enhances many everyday tasks. It is the underlying technology powering most smartphone apps including virtual assistants like Siri, traffic prediction patterns on Google Maps, and Netflix recommendations. It also controls autonomous vehicles, machines that diagnose medical conditions, and robo advisors who manage financial portfolios.

At its core, machine learning uses data to answer questions. ‘Using data’ is typically referred to as ‘training’, while ‘answering questions’ is referred to as ‘making predictions’. What connects these two parts together is the model. The model is trained to identify trends and correlations using a dataset. Then, a new unseen dataset makes predictions based on what it learned during training.

Smart farms and technology innovation have a critical role to play in this ‘global grand challenge’ of feeding a growing population with fewer resources. This creates opportunities for technology, data, and artificial intelligence to help crop and livestock producers sustainably meet increasing demands and manage their risk.

1 CHART-SIMPLE

Gathering Data:

This is the first step in machine learning. The quantity and quality of data is very important and will determine the predictive ability of a model.

Machine learning can be simplified into the following steps:

2 ARROW-DOWN-UP-ACROSS-LINE Data

Preparation:

The data is prepared to be used in the model, and examined to identify and mitigate errors. The data is also split into two parts: a ‘training’ set used to train the model and a ‘testing’ set used to evaluate the model’s performance.

3 MICROCHIP Model Training:

The model is given the training data which consists of inputs and their corresponding classification. Using this data, the algorithm constructs its first prediction.

4 NETWORK-WIRED

Model Testing: Once a prediction has been made, an error function evaluates the accuracy of this output by comparing the prediction value with the known value of the training data.

Machine Learning in Agriculture

The agriculture industry has seen rapid changes in methods of data collection, analysis, and interpretation as technology such as electronic sensors, processors, and drones become increasingly accessible and affordable. As the volume of farm data continues to increase, there is a growing opportunity to adopt machine learning and datadriven models to all stages of agricultural production from pre-harvest to post-harvest.

Smart farming and precision agriculture is the first step towards farm management that utilizes data to increase farm productivity and decision making. Rather than basing decisions per field, these technologies allow decisions to be made per square meter, management zone, or even as granular as per plant and animal. Precision agriculture predicated on machine learning technology has the potential to increase production, improve product quality, lower yield variation, and reduce labour and environmental impact.

Examples of machine learning applications in agriculture include yield prediction and mapping, satellite imagery for analyzing crop conditions, soil property analysis, disease risk estimation, crop identification, and autonomous farming equipment operation.

5 COGS Model Parameter

Tuning: Depending on the discrepancy between the estimated value and the known value, weights are adjusted within the model to improve the prediction accuracy until there is a low margin of error.

6 CHECK-DOUBLE Model

Evaluation: The machine learning model is given the testing data set in order to evaluate the model’s predictive ability on new, unseen data.

Financial Risk Management on the Smart Farm

As data becomes increasingly available from crops, the environment and the market, there is an opportunity to apply machine learning towards developing data-driven financial risk management plans to help producers make informed decisions affecting the profitability, productivity and long-term viability of their farm.

OCCI and Algo-Rythmn Corp. are working together to enhance market and financial risk management innovations, and provide actionable insights and tools for farmers. One area of focus is addressing the variability of input and output prices using data-driven price prediction and hedging decisions.

Stay tuned for more machine learning insights from the Smart Farm at oldscollege.ca/smartfarm.

Algo-Rythmn Corp. is a technology integration company focused on the application of advanced analytics, such as big data and artificial intelligence algorithms, to provide data-driven solutions.

At the beginning of June 2022, the team calculated the missions and acres completed for OMNiPOWER so far this growing season. OMNiPOWER had already completed:

spreaded 1,115 acres

seeded over 635 acres 14 Olds College Horizons

sprayed over 325 acres

Autonomous Collaborations OMNiPOWER Kicks Off its Third Season

The confidence gained from two years of operations has led to the Olds College Smart Farm relying on OMNiPOWER to perform seeding, spraying and spreading duties in the 2022 growing season. The Olds College applied research team working with OMNiPOWER is confident stating that autonomous technology is available and mature enough for broad acre farming.

The Olds College Smart Farm has made substantial progress in two years of autonomous operations with OMNiPOWER due to a dedicated and expanded team (which includes current and former Olds College students), increased data capture with new electronic data collection technology Somat-eDAQ, and increased “hands-off” time.

Team members are also performing comparable autonomous data collection in the 2022 growing season with realtime digital data from Somat-eDAQ. The device electronically collects location specific data (GPS) and equipment data (CAN bus) at a rate of two times a second, and is typically installed on OMNiPOWER. This growing season, when OMNiPOWER is not performing a mission, the Somat-eDAQ is transferred into a carrying case and used to collect data in conventional equipment. It will collect data, such as measuring field efficiency and route efficiency, that can be compared to OMNiPOWER for evaluating autonomous versus conventional equipment.

Olds College looks forward to sharing the data collection results and grand totals from the third year of OMNiPOWER operations after harvest — and talking about what’s next in autonomous equipment applied research on the Smart Farm.

Synchronous Operations

As a potential first in agricultural history, OMNiPOWER was part of synchronous operations on Antler Valley Farm in May 2022. One operator, Wade McAllister of Antler Valley Farm, controlled two seeders: a traditional one (60’) and Raven Precision OMNiPOWER (30’). Olds College OMNiPOWER with its SeedMaster DSR 30’ Air Seeder implement completed 30 per cent (43 of 142 acres) during a regular seeding mission on Antler Valley Farm to improve efficiency.

Collaboration Crosses Provincial Borders Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm

Thanks to a generous donation of 800 acres near Craik, Sask. by Margery Steckler and her late husband George Steckler, the College has expanded farming operations and formed the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm. This gift of land from the Stecklers has grown the Smart Farm to 3,600 acres of land for commercial farming and applied research activities.

The expansion of the Olds College Smart Farm into Saskatchewan will provide a platform for the College to partner with post-secondary institutions, industry, and local producers by providing ag-tech training and research opportunities to support the Saskatchewan agriculture industry. Partners to date include Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Raven Industries, Wildfong Enterprises and Carlson Agricultural Enterprises Ltd.

“With the recent gift of land by Craik, Sask., Olds College has an exciting opportunity to collaborate with local producers, post-secondary institutions, and industry partners in the province to help train the next generation of ag leaders and support the development, validation and adoption of tech innovations throughout the agri-food sector,” says Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College.

The first priority for applied research on the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm is collecting baseline data. The College is collaborating with local Saskatchewan partners, Carlson Agricultural Enterprises Ltd. and Wildfong Enterprises, to gather historical and current information from the fields on the Saskatchewan Smart Farm.

308 acres at Pitstra Farm west of Carstairs, Alta.

312 acres at Steckler Farm west of Didsbury, Alta.

600+ acres at the Field Crop Development Centre at Lacombe, Alta.

Jeff Carlson, President of Carlson Agricultural Enterprises Ltd., and Russell Wildfong, Founder of Wildfong Enterprises, are leading the boots on the ground operations in Saskatchewan. They will be providing the College information about the equipment being used on the fields, along with details about seeding activities, pesticide applications and harvest activities. Olds College will also be collecting coverage and yield maps, grain and soil samples, and — most importantly — feedback about the first growing season on the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm.

“As producers in Saskatchewan, Carlson Agriculture and Wildfong Enterprises understand the importance of innovation and technology adaptation,” says Carlson. “We are excited to be working closely with Russ Wildfong whose deep ties and over a century of history in the Craik region will help ensure the success of the applied research and in-field learning at the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm.”

The team at the Olds College Centre for Innovation is developing and processing historical maps for biomass, product coverage and yield for the Saskatchewan fields. The team is also working towards getting drone imagery of the property, and organizing soil and harvest sampling. Gathering all of this information for the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm will provide a clear picture of the land and soil, so the team can strategize future seeding and applied research activities.

Deep Ties with Olds College & Agriculture: Margery & George Steckler

Committed to the advancement of agriculture, farmers and education, this local couple has been integral to the growth of the Olds College Smart Farm. Their donation of 800 acres of land formed the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm, and their previous donation of 310 acres called Steckler Farm near Didsbury, Alta. was farmed by the College for the first time in 2021. As well as farmland, the Stecklers also created a $100,000 endowment that provides $5,000 in bursaries for students each year.

“I think the experience since donating the farms to Olds College has been one of the most positive experiences of my life,” says Margery Steckler. “George and I looked at it as leaving a legacy for our community — and the farming community at large.”

George Steckler grew up farming in Sask. His parents bought the 800 acres in Craik, Sask. in 1952 and he purchased it from them decades later. Now this piece of land in rural Saskatchewan is being transformed into the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm.

This year, the applied research team and Olds College students are collecting data on Steckler Farm from weather stations, soil nutrient probes, disease risk observations, and yield prediction models. Smart technology tracks and monitors the farm during the growing season, and allows Margery Steckler to see the progress in real time from her home. Steckler Farm has also been selected as a research location during 2022 for the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network.

“The partnership we have grown with the Stecklers is literally transforming our Smart Farm at Olds College and providing generations of students with financial support to gain a world-class ag education,” comments Patrick Machacek, Vice President of Development and Strategy, Olds College.

George and Margery Steckler have truly created a legacy gift here at Olds College.

Collaborations with Applied Research In-Field Testing & Validation on the Smart Farm

New technologies for agriculture require in-field testing and validation in an operating farm environment to move through the innovation chain, and into the hands of farmers and producers. One key outcome of collaborating with Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) is independent, unbiased information for technology innovators, agricultural producers, agronomists, and other industry stakeholders on the functionality and value of agriculture technologies, processes, and practices.

The Olds College Smart Farm offers lab space and a hands-on learning environment including 3,600 acres of land for crop and forage production, state-of-the-art equipment and technology, 140 commercial cattle, 16 Purebred Red Angus and 150 ewes — as well as the Field Crop Development Centre, a feedlot, greenhouses and other infrastructure.

Olds College also has a growing team of researchers, managers, scientists and technicians as well as students, interns and seasonal staff executing the various applied research projects throughout the year.

The Smart Farm provides partners with a unique means of gaining boots-on-the-ground testing and learnings for technologies and practices in real agriculture settings — which continues to bring new projects to the Smart Farm. This includes support in disseminating results of these products and services to producers and other industry stakeholders, so producers can make informed decisions about implementing technology in their own operations.

Read about some of the latest applied research activities and partnerships on the Olds College Smart Farm.

Abby Sim, Smart Ag Research Technician, testing the ChrysaLabs soil nutrient probe on the Smart Farm.

During the 2022 growing season, the OCCI research team will be visiting fields after hailstorms occur to see if high definition imaging from drones can be used to classify hail damaged areas within crop fields. Researchers will create a database of hail damaged crops imagery and see if this could assist Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (ASFC) adjusters in the assessment process.

OCCI is also conducting research to determine if soil moisture measurements captured by soil sensing probes can be used in the estimations of forage yield potential. This will provide learning opportunities for AFSC in support of their Moisture Deficiency Insurance (MDI) Program, which compensates participating producers who experience low forage production due to a lack of soil moisture.

In addition, OCCI is performing a historical data correlation analysis with AFSC to learn what variables matter most to forage growth including historical precipitation, soil moisture measurements, forage yield records, and other relevant weather measurements. These data sets provide the opportunity for a correlation analysis and model development to determine if forage yield can be estimated and modelled using soil moisture and weather data.

OCCI is collecting weather and crop information for METOS Canada to help validate their yield calculator, and provide additional measurements to further develop the algorithm into a crop growth model. The research team is collecting a variety of weather station measurements, soil and crop samples, and biomass and grain yield measurements.

OCCI is evaluating how the Spornado Sampler, an early alert system for crop disease, contributes to the canola fungicide application decision process. Researchers will evaluate how Spornado lab results influence the timing, speed, ease, confidence, and final recommendation of the fungicide application decision making process in canola.

Researchers are performing in-field accuracy assessments of the disease recognition tool within xarvio SCOUTING — a mobile app designed to assist producers with the identification and diagnosis of in-field stressors. The findings will be compared to results from a plant pathologist, and georeferenced results will be compared to other geospatial data layers collected within the HyperLayer Data Concept project on the Smart Farm.

Researchers are evaluating the ChrysaLabs soil nutrient probe in numerous field types and environmental conditions such as soil moisture, soil temperature, ambient temperature and frozen soil. The ChrysaLabs probe contains a spectroscopy interface for a 360° analysis for real-time results of soil nutrients to help producers optimize crop yield and determine fertilizer applications.

Researchers continue to evaluate the WEED-IT precision sprayer which is designed to apply herbicide directly on weeds and avoid wastage — and help producers reduce herbicide use and subsequently costs related to herbicide application.

The Olds College Smart Farm creates a place for producers, industry partners, researchers, students, and faculty to look at the opportunities and challenges facing the agriculture industry and investigate solutions to evolve agriculture practices.

Learn more about all our ongoing applied research projects on our Smart Farm webpage or our interactive project map at oldscollege.ca/ projectstour.

Collaborations with TELUS Agriculture

TELUS Agriculture Continues to Invest in Agtech Innovation on the Smart Farm

Olds College and TELUS Agriculture continue their million dollar partnership this growing season in support of the development, acceleration and integration of technology into the global agri-food value chain. This collaboration on an array of innovative projects will help farmers and producers optimize operations and profits to access more accurate, timely data to make informed farm management decisions.

Here are a few of the projects the Olds College Smart Farm and TELUS Agriculture are working on together this growing season.

Variable Rate Technology Economic Modelling

Assessing the return on investment of variable rate technology (VRT) is a precision-ag approach allowing producers to manage defined areas of their fields differently. Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) is working with TELUS Agriculture on an economic model to determine what level of variability is required to make investing in VRT worthwhile. Early results indicate if producers can capitalize on the reduction in environmental footprint by accessing carbon credit programs, VRT should be included as part of the normal operations on the farm.

Variable Rate Application of Nitrogen & Impact on Emissions

OCCI is also evaluating VRT for fertilizer applications, which contain nitrogen, while maintaining or improving yield. Applying fertilizer only in areas and with amounts where it will be utilized by the crop reduces the amount of residual nitrogen in the soil at the end of the cropping season — which could reduce nitrous oxide emissions. This research with TELUS Agriculture could help producers save money, improve yields and reduce their environmental footprint by using VRT.

WeatherFlow Tempest Validation

Researchers are assessing the WeatherFlow Tempest weather station to provide an evaluation of data accuracy (rainfall, wind speed and direction, and temperature), forecast model accuracy, and a literary study of proper station placement and on-farm economic decisions based on localized weather data. This will help TELUS Agriculture expand agriculture package offerings to producers to enable more informed farm management decisions.

WeatherFlow Tempest weather station set up on Field 11 on the Olds College Smart Farm.

August 9 & 10

Bringing the Conference to the Field

AgSmart, proudly produced by Olds College, is a must-see educational expo focused on data and technology across the agriculture industry.

Taking place August 9 and 10, 2022 at Olds College, producers and industry gather to see the latest innovations being demonstrated, hear from industry experts, and engage with leading innovation-focused exhibits.

This unique expo format brings the conference outdoors to showcase why it makes sense to invest in equipment and technology to capture data, and how to implement that data to increase productivity and profitability for farm operations.

“It is a big year for AgSmart. The expo is evolving along with the rapidly changing ag tech and data segment of the industry,” says Stacy Felkar, Event Co-Manager. “With 50 expert educational sessions, live demos, and around 100 interactive exhibits — there is a lot for producers and industry to take in over the two days.”

Educational sessions have a crop and livestock focus with a range of topics including optical spot spraying, virtual fencing, and integrating tech and data on a traditional farm.

AgSmart is also a great opportunity to learn more about the Olds College Smart Farm and its projects, which will be featured in the Olds College interactive exhibit, educational sessions and demonstrations. There will also be opportunities to take a tour of the Smart Farm during AgSmart to see how research projects are integrated into the farming operations to help producers make informed decisions about implementing technology in their own operations.

Early bird ticket pricing is in effect until July 31 and starts at $40 plus applicable taxes and fees. Purchase tickets and check out the complete schedule at AgSmartOlds.ca.

Student Collaborations

Work-Integrated Learning on the Smart Farm

Work-integrated learning goes hand-in-hand with applied research. Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) kicked off another successful partnership this spring with 14 new students and interns joining the research team.

“Students engaging in applied research on the Smart Farm helps them build the skills required to accelerate the development and adoption of ag technologies and practices,” says Dr. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice-President, Applied Research. “These students leverage what they’ve learned in the classroom, and apply it to challenges and opportunities facing agriculture. Plus, they get to network with key players in the agricultural industry, and build their resumes so they are ready to head out in the workforce.”

Work-integrated learning on the Smart Farm genuinely works — four students who were employed with OCCI last summer recently changed titles from ‘Olds College students’ to ‘Olds College staff members’. OCCI welcomed three of the former students as fulltime Research Technicians, and the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology gained an Instructional Assistant.

In addition, Felippe Hoffmann Silva Karp, PhD candidate from McGill University, returned to continue his PhD candidacy with Digital Ag Research at Olds College. He will be collecting field data to add to the dataset for the HyperLayer Data Concept including the use of sensors for leaf area index and soil compaction measurements. Karp will also be processing and organizing data from the 2021 and 2022 crop seasons, while presenting research findings at conferences such as the International Conference on Precision Agriculture, 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biological Engineering, and AgSmart.

Left to right: Amanpreet Kaur, Blair Bateman, Taryn Metzger, Brita Berger, Felicia Rodney, Lyndsey Smith, Shannon Oude Egberink, Palmer Stowkowy, Ben Kabbeke, Stephanie Rempe and Cassidy Driedger.

Students and interns are receiving game-changing learning opportunities working on research projects and leading-edge technology on the Smart Farm, and OCCI is benefiting from new skill sets and fresh perspectives from their diverse backgrounds and education.

Meet the Team

Two post-grad interns, Katie Lei and Stephanie Rempe, are joining Karp on the Digital Ag research team — a fast-expanding team as the prevalence of ag data grows.

Rempe is a recipient of the Mitacs Accelerate Grant — a year-long paid internship where the recipient works with both an academic institution, Olds College, and an industry partner, Algo-Rythmn Corp., on a joint research project.

Taryn Metzger and Lyndsey Smith are both completing eight-month internships for their Olds College diplomas as Directed Field Study Research Technicians.

Metzger is getting the practical experience she needs to graduate, and helping producers gain information to make farm management decisions. “There are so many different departments in OCCI and they all fit together like gears in a machine,” she says.

Smith has extensive experience with cattle and crops from her family farm, and understands how valuable it is to have both academic and hands-on experience — especially in agriculture. She’s excited to be advancing agriculture with new technologies that are realistic for producers to utilize on their own operations.

OCCI also welcomes ten student research assistants who are working on the Smart Farm for four months: Felicia Rodney, Cassidy Driedger, Amanpreet Kaur, Shannon Oude Egberink, Blair Bateman, Brita Berger, Palmer Stowkowy, Ben Kabbeke, Daniel BannermanGrant and Dylan Laturnus.

Rodney just graduated from Olds College and is excited to get hands-on experience with applied research and technology that will change the way farmers farm. “I believe everyone working on the Smart Farm is invested in making the agriculture industry more advanced,” she says.

Driedger is excited to bring ideas and perspectives as a beef farmer and agriculture graduate to her role. “I think the Smart Farm has a lot of potential to teach young farmers how to be more efficient in the years to come,” she says.

Kaur is an international student from India studying and gaining practical experience at Olds College.

Berger is excited to be improving her livestock handling techniques and strategies regarding regenerative grazing that could be implemented at her family’s ranch.

Egberink feels the drive to feed a growing population, and is thrilled to get experience on the Smart Farm before starting classes this fall. She enrolled in Agriculture Technology at Olds College after completing a Diploma in Agronomy at the University of Saskatchewan.

“Technology is growing so quickly in agriculture, and there are endless opportunities for those who are willing to learn and get involved,” Egberink says. “Coming to Olds College for the Precision Agriculture Techgronomy diploma was a no brainer for me, Olds College gives me hands-on experience in a field I am passionate about.”

“I think it’s great to see the future of where agriculture is going on a working farm,” says Bateman who is thrilled to get hands-on experience with multiple projects related to his education.

It’s evident work-integrated learning on the Smart Farm is setting students up for success, and the next generation of bright minds in agriculture and smart ag technology is full of knowledge and enthusiasm.

Shannon Oude Egberink in Field 15/16 during a seeding mission with OMNiPOWER.

Dr. Alex Melnitchouck, Chief Technology Officer - Digital Ag at Olds College and Felippe Hoffmann Silva Karp in the Smart Ag Innovation Centre.

Alberta Ag Collaborations Second Annual ‘Celebration of Alberta Ag’

Olds College hosted its second annual ‘Celebration of Alberta Ag’ on Friday, April 8, 2022 with livestream viewers from all over Alberta, Canada and around the world.

Hosted in the McLellan Arena on Olds College campus, the free two-hour live streamed event was emceed by Jeff Dyck, host of “The Big JD Morning Show” on 96.5 CKFM All Hitt Country, and featured live interviews, produced videos and performances by Alberta-bred, Nashville-based country music star Aaron Goodvin. The event also hosted approximately one hundred staff, faculty and students in person.

Notable highlights from the evening included a feature on the Olds College Producer Panel, updates on the construction of the new Ag Tech Learning Hub and Animal Health Education Centre, as well as recognizing Highfield Investment Group as Olds College’s 2022 Partner of the Year.

Other notable moments included a panel discussion around the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within a research team in providing valuable perspectives to projects.

Conversation around diversity continued later on during the Associate Deans panel discussion where they spoke about the increase of both urban and international students within the student population.

“Agriculture is a valuable industry in Alberta,” comments Mary Dallas, Associate Dean, School of Life Science & Business. “It doesn’t matter if you weren’t born and raised on a family farm — there are many lucrative and exciting opportunities for you to work in Alberta ag.”

The College would like to send a huge thank you to all the viewers, volunteers, vendors and sponsors who helped to make the event a success.

“The diversity of the perspectives and the backgrounds that we have really makes the Olds College Centre for Innovation team a powerhouse within the research world,” comments Dr. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President, Applied Research. “As EDI concepts become more important, we are incredibly proud to say that more than 60 per cent of our research team is female.”

Partner Collaborations

Highfield Investment Group Named Olds College 2022 Partner of the Year

Olds College is pleased to announce that Highfield Investment Group has been selected as the Olds College 2022 Partner of the Year. A diversified investment company, Highfield Investment Group began their partnership with Olds College in 2009 supporting student awards and athletics. Highfield Investment Group’s commitment to environmental sustainability led them to expand that partnership to support wetlands research at Olds College.

“We are very pleased to announce that Highfield Investment Group is our 2022 Partner of the Year,” comments Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “Olds College shares tremendous alignment with Highfield Investment Group in environmental sustainability and protecting one of our most important resources, water.”

Highfield’s on-going investment is used to support the development of expertise related to monitoring and managing constructed and natural wetlands. Highfield also owns and manages Shuttleworth Conservation Park near Balzac, Alta. and provides Olds College access to the ponds for research and demonstration purposes. The research underway at the Balzac site since 2016 is helping better inform the design and management of runoff ponds to ensure water in these systems meets quality standards for use as industrial water, irrigation, or for recreational purposes.

In addition, Highfield Investment Group and the High Plains Lot Owners Association have invested $10,000 to establish the High Plains Lot Owners Awards. These awards are

valued at $1,000 each and are directed in support of second year Land and Water Diploma Students.

“Highfield is honoured to be selected as the Olds College 2022 Partner of the Year. We look forward to strengthening our relationship as we collaboratively study the effects that the constructed and natural wetlands have on storm water,” comments Adrian Munro, President, Highfield Investment Group. “It is our hope that the research will help us develop a greater understanding of how wetlands can be enhanced to protect stormwater. Our partnership with Olds College is incredibly important to our organization and we look forward to strengthening our affiliation.”

The Olds College Partner of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by Olds College. The recipients of this award reflect the mission of Olds College and support the values and social purpose in a manner that has a positive, measurable and lasting impact on the College.

Program Collaborations

Olds College Launches Agriculture Sales & Customer Support Certificate

Olds College launches new certificate program in Agriculture Sales & Customer Support in alignment with ‘Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs’ plan to expand apprenticeship-style programs. Developed alongside industry, the program includes a paid on-the-job training that will equip students with the necessary experience, skills and knowledge for a successful career in agriculture sales and customer support servicing the agriculture and agri-food sector.

“The Agriculture Sales & Customer Support certificate program is a unique program that will have students spending more than half their time learning hands-on from industry experts and applying knowledge and skills developed in the classroom to real world settings,” comments Dan Daley, Dean, School of Trades & Skills. “Graduates of the Agriculture Sales & Customer Support program will enter the workforce able to identify the impact of current and emerging agriculture technology trends on products and supports available to clients, as well as evaluate client needs and expectations to recommend solutions.”

The one year program consists of four courses completed on campus within the first term, with the remaining six months spent in a faculty-supported paid job placement. Applications are currently open for the first intake of students, who will arrive on campus October 31, 2022. The program is set to expand in 2023 to offer both on-campus and online delivery to meet the increasing demand for skilled and knowledgeable industry professionals.

“With the growing needs of the agriculture industry — proper technical, marketing, communication and negotiation skills are imperative,” comments Marco Defranco, General Manager, Human Resources, Rocky Mountain Equipment. “We require new sales talent to join our organization throughout the year to meet these needs. In order to be successful, the salesmen need to be industry trained. Having individuals go through formal agriculture sales training from Olds College will greatly benefit our organization and the industry as a whole.”

To find out more information about the Agriculture Sales and Customer Support certificate program, visit oldscollege.ca/agsalescertificate.

Collaboration Leads to Growth Olds College Receives $2 Million Towards Student Learning & the Smart Farm

Bob and Carollyne Collier recently gifted $2 million to support enhanced learning experiences for students attending the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology, and to support growth of smart ag applied research and the Olds College Smart Farm.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of Bob and Carollyne Collier,” comments Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “On behalf of Olds College, I would like to sincerely thank Bob and Carollyne for their continued support of our students and the agriculture industry.”

Bob was an entrepreneur — he admired the innovation taking place at Olds College and wanted to support entrepreneurial-minded students. The donation will support the development and delivery of enhanced academic programming, and further the Olds College Smart Farm as an innovative learning, demonstration and applied research environment for students, producers and the agriculture sector in Alberta and around the globe.

Bob and Carollyne previously established the Bob Collier Award with a generous pledge of $300,000 in support of student innovation and entrepreneurship, which provides five annual awards of $6,000 to Olds College students. They also provided an additional donation towards the construction of The Hive, a state-of-art student lounge in the College’s Learning Resource Centre.

In recognition of their $2 million gift, the heart of the new Ag Tech Learning Hub will be named the Bob & Carollyne Collier Student Commons and will be a central gathering space for students, faculty and guests of Olds College. The Ag Tech Learning Hub is on track to open for classes in September 2022.

“We continue to be so inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit shown by the students who receive our annual award each year,” comments Carollyne Collier. “We hope that the students look up at the beautiful ceiling in the Student Commons and feel inspired to take on any challenge that comes their way.”

Thank you to Bob and Carollyne Collier for their continued support of Olds College students, the Smart Farm and the agriculture industry.

Bob and Carollyne Collier inside the Ag Tech Learning Hub with Patrick Machacek (left), Vice President, Development & Strategy, and Stuart Cullum (right), President of Olds College.

Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm Collaborations Olds College Signs MOU with Saskatchewan Polytechnic

Olds College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic have signed an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate in joint activities on the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm, such as student work-integrated learning, technology demonstration and validation, and applied research activities.

Olds College recently expanded its Smart Farm operations into Saskatchewan for the 2022 growing season thanks to a pledge of 800 acres of land west of Craik, Sask. from Margery Steckler and her late husband, George Steckler. The expansion of the Olds College Smart Farm into Saskatchewan provides a platform for Olds College to partner with post-secondary institutions, industry, and local producers — including Saskatchewan Polytechnic — by providing ag-tech training and research opportunities that align and support the needs of Saskatchewan learners, producers and agriculture industry.

President and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Dr. Larry Rosia, sees the collaboration with Olds College as a key opportunity to enhance the learning experiences and applied research environment for students and industry partners.

“With this MOU in place and the Olds College

Saskatchewan Smart Farm located just a short drive from our campus, the growing partnership with Olds College continues to benefit our students, applied research activities, and the agriculture industry,” says Rosia.

The MOU benefits students and local producers with expanded collaboration and shared applied research activities on the Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm to advance agricultural training, applied research and commercialization in Western Canada.

“The Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm gives us the opportunity to work closely with Sask Polytech to continue to provide technical solutions and training opportunities for the agriculture and agri-food industry — and develop solutions to real-world, everyday agricultural challenges,” comments Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College.

Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College, and Dr. Larry Rosia, President and CEO, Sask Polytech, sign the MOU at the Agriculture Equipment Technician Shop at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon campus.

Smart Farm Network Collaborations Continued Growth for the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network members — Olds College, Discovery Farm and Lakeland College — are currently conducting research to compare data collected from weather sensors inside and outside of the crop boundary to produce multiple data sets for analysis. The data collection includes measurements such as air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, global radiation, wind speed and temperature, soil moisture, plant growth, and disease scouting.

The applied research project titled Comparisons of In-Field MicroClimate Variability and External Weather Stations is comparing data from in-field to out-of-boundary weather stations at the three network sites, and evaluating how disease development varies within each zone. This will provide producers with improved accuracy of localized weather data, and determine if the data received within management zones can help them make informed farm management decisions.

“We’ve used METOS sensor data in our field-scale projects for a couple of years and now, having access in real time to similar data from other sites in Canada will expand our understanding of its value,” says Blake Weiseth, Applied Research Lead at Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm.

In-field weather station installed at Lakeland College Student-Managed Farm - Powered by New Holland (photo supplied from Lakeland College).

iMETOS ECO D3 weather station set up near the crop boundary on Steckler Farm which is the Olds College research location for the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network.

Multi-year Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) map with pins showing the locations of the weather stations installed at Steckler Farm.

The data collected is being compared between five weather stations: three in-field weather stations, a weather station placed outside the crop boundary, and the nearest publicly available weather station.

Each Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network member is executing the project following a similar protocol to produce multiple data sets for analysis, and each site’s weather station placement was determined by management zones. Network members will also identify if micro-climate data collected within the field provides additional value to farm management decisions, such as a variable rate fungicide application.

Sensors and weather stations are often placed in easily accessible grassed areas outside of crop headlands for operational efficiency. As a result, the data may not represent conditions within the field — especially due to environmental conditions conducive to disease development and the dispersal of spores by wind and rain.

a field can be tricky. We’re exploring if weather stations placed within the field could improve the quality of data compared to a weather station placed near the field to help producers make more informed decisions,” says Christina Kaye, Smart Ag Research Technician leading this project for Olds College. “Members from each Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network site meet regularly to discuss the project and talk about early findings. So far, it’s been incredibly interesting to see the data coming in from the three sites including different rainfall levels and weather patterns.”

A focus of the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network is to share information with producers to help them maximize technology and data when they’re making tough management decisions based on what’s happening in their fields.

“Working alongside other smart farms in different geographical zones gives increased depth to our research and results,” says Kaitlin Hirsekorn, Agriculture Technology Coordinator at Lakeland College. “We want to provide information to producers that will meaningfully inform their decisions about how and where to use sensor technology.”

Visit oldscollege.ca/smartfarmnetwork to learn more about the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network, or contact Olds College Centre for Innovation to inquire about joining the network.

The Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

The Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network — led by Olds College Smart Farm — is a network of Smart Farms committed to sharing data and expertise that will help farmers, industry and creators better understand, use and develop smart agricultural technologies. With funding from the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN), the network also includes Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm located at Langham, Saskatchewan, and the Lakeland College StudentManaged Farm - Powered by New Holland at Lakeland’s Vermilion campus in eastern Alberta.

The overall goal of the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network is to build a collaborative framework among Canada’s Smart Farm initiatives.

CAAIN Launches National Smart Farm Program

CAAIN recently announced $5 million of funding focused exclusively on encouraging the expansion of a national network of smart farms. CAAIN has funded numerous projects on the Olds College Smart Farm over the last year, and is encouraged by the advancements Olds College is making to Canada’s ag industry.

“We have invested significant resources to planning this initiative because it’s a necessary step in the nationwide adoption of emerging agricultural technologies,” said CAAIN CEO, Kerry Wright. “We currently support a smart farm project at Olds College that has shown tremendous promise in three distinct areas. First, it validates the use of advanced agricultural technology. Second, it demonstrates the functionality of that equipment to farmers, who can then evaluate the potential return on investment for themselves in a real-world farm setting. Third, it is connected to three post-secondary institutions. They, as a result, now have the tools needed to train the next generation of agriculture industry professionals. The success of this first smart farm project prompted us to develop the continuous intake opportunity we unveiled in early June.”

For more information about the program, visit CAAIN online at caain.ca or follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn.

“Disease presence in