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DuPont Pioneer donates to Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

$5,000 donation will be used to build grain safety displays for youth

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

DuPont Pioneer donated $5,000 to the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) to help build grain safety displays aimed at youth.

The grant is being used to further CASA’s Grain Safety Program, which hopes to build a mobile demonstration unit that will serve three purposes:

1.    Rescue Training – It will be used to train first responders in grain extrication procedures.

2.    General Prevention Education – It will be used as a learning tool to teach the public about the dangers of grain entrapment and the importance of lock-out/tag out procedures.

3.    On-site Training – It will provide in-depth prevention and emergency training to workplaces.

“Moving grain poses a significant safety risk on farms and can entrap a person in less than 25 seconds,” Marcel Hacault, executive director of CASA, said in a release. “Thanks to the donation from DuPont Pioneer, we will be able to make a resource available to educate youth on the dangers posed by moving grain.”

CASA has aimed to raise $400,000 to achieve the first phase of its goal, which is to run the Grain Safety Program across the Prairies. According to its website, CASA said it has raised more than $300,000 thus far.

The second phase is to take the program across Canada. CASA says it needs $785,000 to fulfill that goal.


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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.

 

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