Olds College appoints vice-presidents
Olds College of Agriculture and Technology has announced that Joy Agnew is vice-president of research, Peter Mal is vice-president of student experience, and Todd Ormann is vice-president of development.
Agnew will oversee research and Mal will oversee the office of the registrar, recruitment and admissions, international, residence services, athletics, and other services.
Ormann will oversee fund development, partnerships, government relations, marketing and communications.
AgriSpirit Fund opens
Applications are being accepted until May 15 for Farm Credit Canada’s $1.5 million AgriSpirit Fund.
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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
The annual fund is available to registered charities, non-profit organizations and First Nations, Métis or Inuit governments and communities in rural Canada.
For 19 years, FCC has awarded rural community groups between $5,000 and $25,000 for various community improvement initiatives.
This year, the fund will again support capital projects that enrich the lives of residents in cities, towns or Indigenous communities with fewer than 150,000 people.
Applicants can view the eligibility requirements, past projects and apply online by visiting www.fccagrispiritfund.ca.
Program supports disease prevention
The Farmed Animal Disease Program is open for applications to eligible livestock organizations in British Columbia.
With support from a $5-million provincial grant, B.C. farms, ranches and facilities will be more resilient to animal diseases, such as avian influenza, swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.
The program will support planning, acquisition of equipment for disease response, training exercises, and the research and implementation of strategies that reduce the risk of infection and disease transfer, such as enhanced biosecurity or vaccination.
More information is at iafbc.ca/fad/.
Disease resistance contest winners named
Three winners were chosen for CropLife Canada’s inaugural contest: Pest Management Challenge: How do you outsmart resistance on your farm?
They were selected from the 400 growers who shared their resistance management strategies for weeds, diseases and insects.
Julie Abbas of Lemieux, Que., Charissa Chalmers from Sparwood, B.C., and Neil Beauchamp of Saskatoon were awarded a grand prize of an iPad Air 256 GB.
The online contest was hosted by Manage Resistance Now, a collaborative effort of industry, academia and government experts, brought together by CropLife Canada.
These resources can be accessed at manageresistancenow.ca.
Grains council selects new president
Erin Gowriluk is the new president of the Canada Grains Council.
Most recently, Gowriluk served as executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada. She has also held senior policy roles with Syngenta Canada and the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions.
Greenhouse lighting research funded
Lethbridge College will receive more than $350,000 over three years through the Agriculture Funding Consortium starting this fall.
The funding is for a greenhouse lighting research project, which will be the first major project in the college’s new 10,000 sq. foot research greenhouse — the Centre for Sustainable Food Production.
Access to adequate light is a critical factor in greenhouse crop productivity. While there’s an abundance of natural sunlight, supplemental lights are often necessary to stay competitive year-round.
The project hopes to provide more efficient and cost-effective LED lighting.
As well, through this project, researchers hope to identify best practices for supplemental lighting for growing cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.
