Lakeland College receives $4-million donation

Mar 02, 2020

The college received the largest donation in its history from local bison producers

Staff Writer

Farms.com

On Feb. 25, Lakeland College received a $4-million donation from Armin and Rita Mueller, owners of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk, to establish a bison ranch at the Alberta college.

“We’re excited what this offers for us and are really thankful for the donation. It’s overwhelming to be honest; $4 million is a massive amount of money. It's the largest donation the college has ever received,” said Geoff Brown, the associate dean of agricultural sciences at Lakeland College.

The Muellers aren’t alumni of the college, but they heard about the student-managed farm concept and it fit their personal vision of promoting the bison industry, Brown said.

“For the students to learn more about bison and gain hands-on experience is going to be fascinating for them,” Armin said in a release. “It would be great if 10, 20 or 30 years down the road, we see a lot more bison in the fields again.”

The money will go towards land and a bison herd of approximately 120 cows. This herd will be part of the student-managed farm program, which is part of the two-year animal science technology diploma at Lakeland.

“Currently we have four livestock majors in that program. We have a beef major, a dairy major, a general livestock major (which would be multi-species), and then an equine major. So, we're looking at how we embed the bison herd into that animal sciences technology program,” Brown told Farms.com.

On the student-managed farm, students get hands-on experience with how to manage different areas of the agricultural industry. A big part of adding the bison herd will be having students manage the grassland the animals occupy.

“We hear so much about climate change and the affects of ruminants on that, but the other part of the story is the carbon sequestration that happens when you really manage a grassland well,” Brown said.

Right now, the college is trying to find suitable land for the new bison herd close to the Vermillion campus. The program is expected begin in Sept. 2021, Brown said.

Leading up to the 2021 start date, the college leadership plans to involve students in the process of herd acquisition and designing the facility.

Photo credit: Lakeland College

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.