Glacier FarmMedia’s eastern Discovery Farm has joined the locations that share data and research through Old’s College’s Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network.
The 330-acre Ontario site is the host of various demonstration research projects and Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. It was established as the permanent home for the show in 2020.
“The objective is to provide farmers and agricultural professionals with tangible, applicable knowledge for their own operations. This research covers a wide range of agricultural fields, including crop cultivation, livestock management, soil health and sustainable farming practices,” the site’s website states.
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Discovery Farm Woodstock and Olds College of Agriculture and Technology announced the addition Aug. 2 in a joint release. It brings the network’s membership up to eight locations across four provinces.
Other members include the farm’s sister site, Discovery Farm Langham near Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (also near Saskatoon), Lakeland College at Vermilion, Alta., and Alberta’s Lethbridge College.
The network expanded into Manitoba earlier this year, with the addition of the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives near Brandon and the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative near Winnipeg.
The idea, according to the Aug. 2 release, is to create “a network of Smart Farms supporting Canada’s agriculture sector to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in response to emerging opportunities and challenges in the industry.
“The network fosters collaboration among researchers, producers, industry partners, and other stakeholders nationwide to drive innovative projects that address critical issues in ag tech development and adoption.”
Sites test and validate digital ag innovations with an eye to how breakthroughs could be applied to farm practices or research.
The network’s multiple sites and diverse geographic regions “multiplies the learnings and increases the value of data generated to connect farmers with industry and research partners to find practical solutions to ag challenges,” the joint statement read.
Olds College launched its own Smart Farm in 2018 on 110 acres. The network was launched in 2021.
Joy Agnew, vice-president of research for Olds College, noted the addition expands the network’s reach past the Prairies for the first time.
“Discovery Farm Woodstock brings production practices and soil types more common in Eastern Canada into network research activities, as well as specific expertise in soybeans and corn,” she said. “The network’s continued expansion across different agricultural zones and land bases brings depth to the network’s projects and technology evaluations, which benefit farmers and developers.”
The college also noted the farm’s links to the University of Guelph.
Lynda Tityk, Glacier FarmMedia corporate director of Discovery Farm and events, said they were “thrilled” with the site’s membership and the new range it will bring to the network.
“Working together with members across Canada in the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network allows us to transfer knowledge on initiatives that provide information that matters to Ontario farmers and connect the public to Ontario’s robust and evolving agri-food sector,” she said.
