OLDS – The Olds College Smart Farm received a total of $5.1 million in federal and industry funding earlier this summer for its Smart Agriculture Applied Research Program
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has contributed $2 million, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation $945,867, and eight industry partners made cash and in-kind contributions totaling $2,174,870.
The funding will be used to address the challenge and enhance the application of agriculture technology development and data utilization for broad-acre, dryland cropping systems typical in western Canada, said Olds College president Stuart Cullum.
“Companies are looking for places to develop, validate and demonstrate their technologies,” Cullum said in a media release. “Producers are interested in a place where programs can be addressed and opportunities explored.”
Among key outcomes of the program will be “independent, unbiased information for technology innovators, agricultural producers, agronomists, and other industry stakeholders on the functionality and value of agricultural technologies, processes and practices,” he said.
Dr. Joy Agnew is the associate vice-president of applied research at Olds College.
The new funds will allow the college to “execute a series of industry-driven, college-led, applied research projects focused on developing, integrating, optimizing, validating and demonstrating innovative agriculture technologies, processes and practices with a focus on understanding he the value of primary crop producers and technology companies,” she said.
