Scholarships in Sask.
Several Saskatchewan students pursuing post-secondary education were recently awarded agriculture student scholarships from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Caitlyn Spratt from Melfort was the grand prize recipient, awarded $4,000. She is attending the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
Her winning essay discussed Saskatchewan’s sustainability efforts, which included zero till and GPS technology, and the environmental benefits of grazing cattle on native range.
Danielle Dyok from Saskatoon, Katherine Andree from Val Marie and Emery Cholin from Kerrobert were all awarded $2,000 as runners-up for the scholarship.
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Dyok and Cholin will both be attending the U of S this fall. Andree will attend Olds College in the Agricultural Management Program.
The scholarship program is a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments. More information is available at saskatchewan.ca/ag-public-trust.
Ontario ag scholarships
The federal and Ontario governments are investing more than $2.3 million over three years through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support 4-H Ontario programming.
The funding will allow 4-H Ontario to continue to engage youth interested in a career in agriculture. Approximately 6,000 youths are expected to benefit from the funding.
Under the agreement, investments will be made 4-H programming areas that include:
- support for local initiatives to increase awareness of careers in agriculture.
- provincial youth leadership development efforts.
- engaging diverse communities including under-represented and Indigenous youth about 4-H Ontario programs.
- improving the capacity to train volunteer workers for the organization.
- developing and distributing curriculum resources.
Applied Genomics Centre opens
Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C., has opened a new state-of-the-art research laboratory for the Applied Genomics Centre that is designed to accelerate work on developing molecular genetic and cellular product solutions for the agricultural sector in the province.
Putting nature to work
Dairy Farmers of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada have teamed up to offer conservation solutions to dairy producers that will enhance the natural systems on their farms.
From financial incentives to land management advice, DUC’s farmgate programs can help them work toward being carbon neutral by 2050. Duck’s Unlimited offers sustainable on-farm projects that enhance forage production, soil health, carbon storage, biodiversity potential, water infiltration, pollination services, and water-nutrient filtration.
Programs are tailored to each dairy farm and vary according to region but include forage conversion, wetland restoration, conservation easements and biodiversity projects. More information is available at ag.ducks.ca.
Wild pig study
The University of Calgary is conducting a wild pig study to help identify the overlap between wild pigs and livestock.
It wants farmers to participate in a short survey to understand how wild pigs interact with livestock and the various ways pathogens can be transmitted.
The study aims to identify the overlap, characterize the contact structure for disease transmission risk, and document current practices to manage wild pigs on farms.
Invasive wild pigs continue to spread rapidly across Western Canada.
The survey asks farmers to enter information including their postal codes, type of livestock operation and whether they’ve seen wild pigs on their farmland.
New coalition president
Lori-Ann Kaminski is the new president of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition and is also research program manager of cereal crops with the Manitoba Crop Alliance.
The coalition is a collaboration between the Alberta Wheat Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and Manitoba Crop Alliance.
Its operational hosting duties rotate every three years between the three prairie producer organizations that represent wheat farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Hosting duties include administrative functions such as research funding co-ordination, and communications activities like website updates and annual reports, as well as planning the annual meeting.
