Olds College: Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives joins their Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

“We are pleased to announce our second expansion site and welcome Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. to the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network,” she said. “With additional partners comes additional opportunities in applied research and education that will help manufacturers maximize technology and data when making these sometimes difficult farm management decisions. Independent validation of farming technologies is critical, as is ensuring validation is done using more than a single smart farm and more than one agroclimatic zone. We are very excited to continue expanding the network across Canada.”

MBFI officials say they are focused on advancing Manitoba’s cattle and feed industries by engaging stakeholders, evaluating agricultural innovation and disseminating knowledge to improve sustainability for farmers, the public and the environment. They say MBFI has the facilities, knowledge and technology to support the advancement of innovation, education and adoption of agricultural technologies, practices and solutions in their province and across Canada.

“We are excited to join the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network and to partner with Olds College, Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm in Langham, Lakeland College and USask’s Livestock and Forage Center of Excellence,” said Orr. “This network of smart farms creates opportunities for broader discussions about technology, risk management and knowledge sharing. Joining the network is a powerful way to amplify our investments in evaluating livestock and crop monitoring equipment, which is made possible by grant funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. We want to both support sustainable production and help manufacturers to maximize technology and data. We look forward to what we can achieve as the network continues to grow with more infrastructure, technology, labs, facilities and pastures.”

Olds College says connecting smart farms across the country will multiply insights and increase the value of data generated to connect farmers with industry and research partners to find practical solutions to farming challenges.

With funding from the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN), college officials believe the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network initiative will accelerate the development and adoption of agricultural technologies and systems and help producers manage their production risk, to improve productivity and sustainability of their operations.

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