Workers at Innovation Farms, northwest of Winnipeg, are installing sensors across the farm to collect data.

Navigating the Valley of Death

“Welcome to the ‘Valley of Death,’ ” the Saskatchewan Research Council says on its website. 
“This is where most potential innovations fail, where most investors become faint-hearted, and where most product or service developers give up.”


A large, tracked tractor pulls an air seeder rig near the highway on the Discovery Farm near Langham, Sask.

New members bolster national network of smart farms

Lethbridge College and Innovation Farms Powered by AgExpert have joined an initiative to promote smart farming


The initiative aims to improve productivity and sustainability of farmers and ranchers by encouraging greater technology use. The network was partly launched in 2021 by the Olds College Smart Farm and the Lakeland College Student-Managed Farm in Vermilion, Alta.