When it comes to nitrous oxide emissions, there are many complex formulas that can be used to determine what is going on in the fields. Abby Sim, field technician at Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, says this is precisely why the Smart Farm at the college decided to look at estimating nitrous oxide emissions…. Read More
Category: AgSmart
Every year, Olds College of Agriculture and Technology announces a Partner of The Year award. This year, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) is the recipient. The award was presented at AgSmart held at Olds, Alta., earlier this week. The award recognizes the successful joint initiatives undertaken by AFSC and Olds College. Notable projects include initiatives… Read More
Olds College has been working on a multi-year project on in-bin drying, which was on display at AgSmart at Olds, Alta. The technology, developed by Top Grade Ag, at Calgary, Alta., uses a proprietary algorithm with pressure, temperature, and humidity sensors to optimize the grain drying process. Daniel Stefner of Olds College says the system… Read More
Replacing the good ol’ trusty calving book can be difficult, but there are systems out there that can help with that. Flokk Systems is one of them. The handheld device for data collection with a built in tag reader is important for traceability, says Jody Bell, of Flokk Systems. “It’ll collect all your calving data,… Read More
Although livestock and crops have some similar concepts, one of the differences is that you don’t have to keep your crops from escaping. The Razer Grazer, by Range Ward, is working to help keep your cattle in. Neil Thorsteinson, sales manager with Range Ward, was on hand at AgSmart at Olds, Alta., to show off… Read More
Olds College and Agricultural Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) have created a formal partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU). As part of the MOU, AFSC will provide support for applied research activities on the Olds College Smart Farm that will drive innovation in agriculture. Dr. Joy Agnew, associate vice president of applied research at… Read More
Imagine being able to keep track of data on every member of your herd. OneCup AI’s Bovine Expert Tracking and Surveillance, or BETSY for short, uses facial recognition to first identify livestock, then monitor them. “After she identifies those animals, she begins to track a number of different things about those animals for health monitoring,… Read More
Intergenerational wealth transfer or succession planning can be a daunting task, but if started early and included as a regular part of financial check-ups, it doesn’t have to be. Trent Hamans, vice president of private banking and wealth planning with ATB Wealth, likens wealth transfer planning to creating a good meal. “Having successful intergenerational wealth… Read More
Autonomy in an agricultural setting is an exciting space to be in. There are a lot of definitions of autonomy out there, and for farming, the first one that applies or that people think of is the advent of auto-steer. But there’s so much more. Kara Oosterhuis recently caught up with Chris Morson, sales specialist… Read More
Producers can begin preparing for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) proposed regulation changes to livestock identification and traceability, despite the uncertainty around the rules’ implementation. But first, they might consider taking a look at the regulations as they stand, and how to access the information they need going forward. “Current regulations require producers to… Read More
Visual assessments are not enough to gauge feed quality, and a feed test is an economical way to protect against under or overfeeding certain critical components of a feed ration, such as protein or energy, says Andrea Hanson. Hanson is the beef extension specialist with Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, and says that feed testing all… Read More
In April, Olds College unveiled a new precision agriculture diploma, a program the dean of program development in agriculture technology says aligns with industry needs, and offers the opportunity for students to think in different ways. Olds College’s James Benkie was on hand at AgSmart in August, where he shared some of the details of… Read More
Fine-tuning the combine at harvest results in more bushels in the bin and fewer volunteers in future years, but calibrating losses isn’t always convenient, and during busy harvest season it might be an overlooked or rushed step. The Bushel Plus harvest loss measurement system was designed to address this challenge, so that measuring grain out… Read More
We now have incredible capabilities to measure, record, and trace products and data points, on everything from a package of bacon, to online shopping choices, to yield in a field of grain. But just because we have the ability to measure something, doesn’t mean we’re making good use of that information, nor do can we… Read More
When it comes to accessible data around forages, there isn’t much out there. That’s according to Grant Lastiwka with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry who spoke at AgSmart this year at Olds, Alberta. The forage extension specialist dubbed his talk to producers, “pasture and hayland Viagra” and his aim was to get producers excited about the data… Read More