FCC supports Learning Centre at Brookdale Research Farm

Dec 07, 2017

Agricultural innovation centre receives $25,000 for Manitoba construction project

Staff Reporter

Farms.com

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) donated $25,000 to assist with the construction of the Manitoba Beef & Forages Initiatives (MBFI) Learning Centre in Brandon, Man.

The MBFI Learning Centre is an addition to the Brookdale Research Farm and is expected to be completed next year, according to an MBFI release on Wednesday.

“Through FCC’s AgriSpirit Fund, we are proud to be a partner in the construction of the Learning Centre,” Wilco van Meijl, director of FCC’s Brandon District office, said in the release.

AgriSpirit is a fund that FCC puts together on an annual basis where community members are invited to submit applications for projects. FCC looks to rural communities and supports rural initiatives, according to Meijl.

The Learning Centre will feature a meeting room with teaching tools, a food prep area, office space and a gallery, according to the release.

“The work that they’re doing on a daily basis is grassroots work. … (The Learning Centre) gives beef producers an opportunity to see the benefits of the research that’s being done and perhaps apply that in their own practices as well,” Meijl said to Farms.com today.

“What I like about it, being a primary beef producer myself, is that it’s real-world testing. It’s field scale. Real cattle are going through (the research projects), and we get to reap the benefits of some of that testing.”

Producers and industry professionals will be able to tour the interactive research farm. The centre will promote participation in a suitable learning environment. The facilities will also be accessible year-round to local clubs, producer peer groups, sponsors and schools.

FCC’s donation will help MBFI complete this project and the association appreciates the support.

“A project of this magnitude needs a lot of generosity from the farm community and we are thrilled to see FCC step forward to help us reach our greatest potential with the Learning Centre as a key part of MBFI,” Ramona Blyth, MBFI president, said in the release.

MBFI is a centre of agricultural innovation. It conducts scientific research to ensure ecosystem sustainability, producer profitability and promotes social awareness within the beef and forage industries. MBFI works in collaboration with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association, and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Updated December 8, 2017

Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2789694551_37beafc438_b_-_Grass_Fed_Beef_-_Ryan_Thompson_-_Flickr_-_USDAgov.jpg

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