By rdnewsNOW Staff

Craik, SK.

Olds College Smart Farm expanding into Saskatchewan

Mar 9, 2022 | 3:50 PM

Olds College will be expanding its Smart Farm operations into Saskatchewan during the 2022 growing season thanks to a pledge of 800 acres of land west of Craik, SK, from Margery Steckler and her late husband, George Steckler.

Officials say 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 that align and support the needs of Saskatchewan learners, producers and agriculture industry.

“Olds College is strategically focused on supporting the sustainable growth and development of Canada’s agri-food sector, and our Smart Farm ecosystem is a fundamental asset for industry, researchers, faculty and students to develop and integrate technology and best practice,” comments Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “With the recent gift of land by Craik, Saskatchewan, Olds College has an exciting opportunity to collaborate with local producers, post-secondary institutions, and industry partners in the province, such as Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Raven Industries, Carlson Agriculture and Wildfong Enterprises, to help train the next generation of ag leaders and support the development, validation and adoption of tech innovations throughout the agri-food sector.”

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

“We are excited for this partnership with the Olds College Smart Farm,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO. “Sask Polytech’s Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE) provides the expertise and facilities required to move smart farm technology forward. Our applied research experience and industry connections in the tech and agriculture sectors will benefit all involved in this innovative new project, including students and industry partners.”

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“As producers in Saskatchewan, Carlson Agriculture and Wildfong Enterprises understand the importance of innovation and technology adaptation,” says Jeff Carlson, President at Carlson Agricultural Enterprises. “We are excited to be working closely with Russ Wildfong (http://wildfongenterprises.com), 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.”

Ben Voss, Director of Sales, North America and Australia is pleased to extend Raven Industries’ collaboration with Olds College to the newly established Saskatchewan Smart Farm.

“Olds College has been a pioneer for autonomy in agriculture for years,” says Voss. “Their expansion to Saskatchewan with such a dynamic operation proves their steadfast dedication to autonomous agriculture in all aspects.”

“Raven is proud to be a long-time partner of Olds College through our OMNiPOWER platform,” he continues. “This recent investment of land and resources will no doubt reap innovation and industry-breaking technology for years to come, and we are eager to be involved on their Path to Autonomy.”

The Olds College Saskatchewan Smart Farm will focus on using technology and practices to improve the overall productivity, profitability, and sustainability of food production.

By incorporating the land in Saskatchewan as a part of the Olds College Smart Farm, Olds College and its partners will be able to leverage 3,600 acres, including a 140 head cow/calf herd, feedlot and sheep flock, all of which is said to be managed as closely as possible to a commercial farm operation, while also being a living lab space to provide infrastructure for innovation, development, validation, demonstration, and scaling of ag technologies and practices.

Officials say the Olds College Smart Farm is attracting a wide range of investment and engagement from multinational corporations, small medium enterprises (SMEs), to producers and tech start-ups.

They further add that the Smart Farm platform is designed to focus on real-world issues and problems to be solved, and also provides students with a hands-on learning environment centered on the future of agriculture and technology by creating learning experiences that are experiential and tech-focused.