OLDS — Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has been named the Olds College 2020 Partner of the Year.
The Partner of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by Olds College.
Recipients of this award support college in a way that is seen to have a positive, measurable and lasting impact on the institution.
They also reflect the college’s mission to create an environment for learning, inquiry, partnership and communication that supports its students, employees and communities in the service of society.
In 2018, FCC stepped forward as the college’s first corporate partner of the Olds College Smart Farm.
Since then, FCC has made a four-year commitment to Olds College and its focus on cultivating informed decisions through the advancement of ag technology learning and applied research at the Smart Farm.
Through this partnership, Olds College was also able to create the AgExpert Data Lab, located in its Smart Ag Innovation Centre.
The lab is a technologically advanced workspace that is available for students, instructors, industry partners and the Smart Farm Integration Team to meet, collaborate and learn.
“We are thrilled to announce that Farm Credit Canada is our 2020 Partner of the Year,” Olds College president Stuart Cullum said in a news release.
“Olds College and FCC share a common goal of supporting the growth and advancement of Canada’s agriculture and agrifood industry.
“On behalf of Olds College, I would like to sincerely thank FCC for their partnership and investment into Olds College. We congratulate them on being our 2020 Partner of the year.”
FCC saw the partnership with Olds College as a win/win, said Michael Hoffort, president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada.
“In partnering with Olds College, we saw an opportunity to work together to build a brighter future for Canada’s agriculture and food industry,” he said.
“Olds College is educating the next generation of producers and agriculture professionals and at FCC, we want to support the success of these students and graduates.
“We’re also very excited about our joint project with the Olds Smart Farm — the AgExpert Data Lab. The data from this lab can help students, and eventually producers, make more informed decisions for their operations. The future of this industry is bright.”
