This week marks the official opening of theLivestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE), located southeast of Saskatoon. Leadership of the LFCE say that this isn’t just a world-class facility, but it is designed to be world-leading in forage and beef production research.
RealAgriculture’s Dale Leftwich attended the grand opening of the LFCE and met up with Mary Buhr, dean of the College of Agriculture, and Karen Chad, head of research at the University of Saskatchewan.
“The Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence is the coming together under one roof of what have been three separate research centres for the university and for producers,” says Buhr. The centre focuses mainly on beef cattle, but also includes other livestock, in addition to forage, land management, and environmental sustainability, and how all these pieces fit together. The $38 million centre has use of over 4,000 acres of land. “It’s amazing,” she says.
Chad, for her part, talks about the important role of U of S in feeding a growing population. “I think that’s probably one of the global issues of the day. And of course livestock and forage industries play a key and fundamental role in that, so bringing the industries and the researchers along with the students in a training environment is going to help develop the knowledges of the day, the technologies of the day that is going to catapult, actually, the province of Saskatchewan, and indeed Canada at the forefront of addressing this major, tough question of the day.”
Dave Marit, Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister adds, “Many dedicated partners collaborated on the vision for this integrated Centre of Excellence that will support the continued success of the livestock and forage industries. This centre’s teaching capabilities and research into forage breeding, cattle health, management practices and more will contribute tremendously to the long-term growth, profitability and sustainability of cattle production.”
Chad says the LFCE is another way the U of S will have an impact in the real world, not just academia. “This is another cog in that huge, huge wheel to move us forward, to actually be the university that the world needs, and what kind of university the world needs is the kind of university that works with its community, and finds solutions to some of the biggest, toughest questions of the day.”
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