Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Nova Scotia farmer raises money for local volunteer fire department

Nova Scotia farmer raises money for local volunteer fire department
Sep 01, 2017
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Lukas Batschelet is also a licensed chef

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

A cattle farmer from Loch Lomond, N.S., helped raised more than $2,000 that will be used to help the Loch Lomond Volunteer Fire Department purchase new equipment.

Lukas Batschelet, who raises about 40 Texas Longhorns on his 300-acre farm, hosted a barbecue on Aug. 5, and all profits were donated to the community.

The money raised will go towards developing local warming centres and purchasing heat pumps.

Aside from raising money for the fire department, the barbecue acted as a way to show Nova Scotians the importance of locally produced ingredients.

“As a cook you’ll open a box of beef that says it came from Alberta or somewhere else,” he told Farms.com. “It’s important for me that local food becomes part of the provincial culture. There’s been a shift here and people are looking for quality over quantity.”


Some of the Texas Longhorns on Batschelet's farm.
Photo: Bovem Longhorns/Facebook

He believes he’s the only farmer in the province raising Longhorns.

He’s also a member of the local volunteer fire department and a graduate of the Culinary Arts program from the Nova Scotia Community College.

The 26-year-old chose to raise Longhorns because they can withstand the winter months and because the beef is high quality, he explained.

Batschelet spent most of his childhood in the countryside and around farm animals.

But now that he’s a producer himself, he’s gaining an understanding of some challenges cattle farmers can face, especially where he’s located.

“Cape Breton isn’t really set up for farming,” he said. “There’s almost no farms here anymore and everything you need can be very complicated to get. Buying hay and other materials is harder but I’m finding the resources for that.

“Selling the beef hasn’t been too hard and that’s been a blessing.”

Batschelet sells his beef to four local restaurants and plans to hold another barbecue next year.

Top photo: Lukas Batschelet/Facebook


Trending Video

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.

 

Comments


Your email address will not be published