Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. has joined the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network, says Olds College.
Led by Olds College, the network of Smart Farms is committed to sharing data and expertise to help farmers, industry, and developers better understand, use, and develop smart agricultural technologies to accelerate the development and adoption of agriculture technologies across Canada.
Launched in 2021, the network also includes Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm in Saskatchewan, University of Saskatchewan Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, and Lakeland College in Alberta.
“Joining the network is an impactful way to amplify our investment in evaluating livestock and crop monitoring equipment made possible through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership grant funding. We want to both support sustainable production and help producers maximize technology and data,” said general manager Mary-Jane Orr with Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives, in a statement.
Manitoba Beef & Forage focuses on advancing the Manitoba beef cattle and forage industry by engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and passing on knowledge to improve sustainability for farmers, the public and the environment.
“We’re thrilled to continue expanding the network across Canada. Independent validation of ag technologies is critical, and so is ensuring that validation is done using more than a single smart farm and more than one agro-climatic zone,” said Joy Agnew, associate vice-president of Applied Research at Olds College.