$25,000 from the AREF will support the school’s Centre for Innovation
A post-secondary school in Alberta received funding to support ag research and studies.
Medicine Hat College (MHC) is the recipient of $25,000 from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF).
The money will support a new project through the school’s Centre for Innovation (C4i), a research hub connecting entrepreneurs with expertise and resources.
This new project will see two drone-certified student researchers work together with local farmers to collect soil, crop, and water use data using aerial imagery.
“Working with real producers changes how people learn,” C4i Manager Chelsey Ehresman said in a statement. “They see how data influences decisions in real time and develop the skills to apply and communicate that information effectively.”
Getting out of the classroom is providing real world experience for students.
“I’m gaining experience as a beginner in this industry while working with a team like C4i that is focused on innovation,” Nitin Nitin, a recent MHC grad, said in the school’s press release. “This project is opening more opportunities for me while I continue to build technical and teamwork skills in agricultural technology.”
Drone use in Canada is becoming more common.
By the end of 2020, for example, Transport Canada had issued around 12,000 Advanced Pilot Certificates, which allows pilots to operate drones weighing between 25 kg and 250 kg for crop monitoring and other tasks.
By the end of 2025, that number increased to more than 20,000, representing a jump of nearly 75 per cent in five years.
And organizations are emerging advocating for expanded drone use in ag.
The Canadian Agricultural Drone Association, which MHC is a supporter of, is working to advance the safe and innovative use of drones in Canadian agriculture.
This new study at MHC reflects the modern agricultural landscape.
“The focus on land stewardship, water efficiency, and practical adoption of new technology reflects many of the challenges farmers and land managers are navigating today,” the AREF said about the project on its website.
Once the drone project completes, findings will be made available for farmers and other MHC partners.