ATB Financial gives $250,000 to Olds College

Jul 18, 2019

Olds College has received a $250,000 donation from ATB Financial in support of agricultural technology research and education, officials said.

The five-year financial commitment will be used to support the college’s high-tech smart farm, as well as to support the AgSmart technology expo at the college on Aug. 13-14.

College president Stuart Cullum says support for the smart farm through the donation will have long-term benefits.

“The Olds College Smart Farm provides an environment where producers, industry partners, college researchers, faculty and students can explore the challenges and opportunities facing the agriculture sector and together investigating solutions and determine how we can use technology, data and expertise to evolve our existing agricultural practices,” Cullum said in a release.

Curtis Stange, president and CEO of ATB Financial, said supporting the smart farm will help keep Alberta agriculture competitive moving forward.

“We know the ag industry is rapidly changing with technology playing a growing role and we are proud to support initiatives like the Olds College Smart Farm that harness technology and innovation in such an integral sector,” said Stange.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.