Dr. Shabeg Briar (left) and Dr. Paul Tiege looking at crop plot trials on the Olds College Smart Farm. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

working together for the greater good

Seven post-secondary institutions create ag and food research collaboration

Jul 29, 2021 | 2:04 PM

RED DEER, Alta. — Several Alberta colleges and polytechnics have created a new Agriculture and Food Research Collaborative.

The joint effort is between Olds College, Lethbridge College, Medicine Hat College, Grande Prairie Regional College, Lakeland College, NAIT and SAIT.

Those seven will work together to enhance agriculture and food research through sharing of data, expertise and research capabilities, while supporting policy evolution and industry advocacy.

“Individually, Alberta’s Colleges and Polytechnics play a critical role in supporting agriculture and food research, collectively our impact is even greater,” comments Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “In 2020, Alberta’s agri-food sector was a $56 billion industry and is the largest employer in Alberta. It will continue to be a foundational industry for our region’s economic success and while our institutions are already doing much to collaborate in support of its growth and prosperity, this declaration further solidifies our intent to work in an integrated fashion.”

According to a release, the declaration also provides a framework for signatories to identify joint research opportunities, support consistent and competitive fee structures for agriculture and food related applied research services, facilitate work-integrated learning opportunities for students, and to collectively share data and results.

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“The shared knowledge of Alberta’s colleges and polytechnics ensures Alberta can continue to be a world leader in sustainable agriculture practices,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “By working together with our partners throughout the province, we can leverage the skills, knowledge and resources in each of our institutions to push forward industry-relevant research that will make a difference in the lives of those involved in Alberta’s agriculture sector, while supporting the provincial economy. Lethbridge College welcomes this collaborative declaration and looks forward to the countless possibilities it brings.”

Adds Kevin Shufflebotham, President and CEO, Medicine Hat College: “There is much we can learn from each other as we continue to find new and innovative ways to serve our students, our communities, and our global society. This is particularly timely as we welcome students to the college’s first agriculture-related program this fall.

“It is more important than ever for colleges and polytechnics to work together to ensure efficiencies in everything we do, including applied research.”

Dr. Vanessa Sheane, Interim VP, Academic and Research, Grande Prairie Regional College, says their work in this area began 70 years ago.

“Agriculture provided the catalyst for the development of Grande Prairie Regional College’s Fairview Campus,” she says. “This is truly part of who we are and we couldn’t be happier to work together with post-secondaries across Alberta to strengthen applied research and discovery in this vital industry.”