Agriculture Enlightened panelists to provide insight into Canadian smart farms

Sep 20, 2024

Leaders from four Canadian smart farms will share the stage at EMILI’s 2024 Agriculture Enlightened conference, providing insights and perspectives on how innovative new technologies are driving the future of agriculture.

EMILI Innovation Farms Manager Leanne Koroscil will be joined on stage by Invest Ottawa/Ottawa Smart Farm at Area X.O Business Development Director Susanne Cork, Haggerty AgRobotics President Chuck Baresich, and Olds College Instructor and Researcher Felipe Karp.

These individuals represent a network of Canadian smart farms working closely with FCC AgExpert to increase productivity and sustainability in Canada’s agriculture sector.

EMILI’s Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert is located on a 5,5000 acre commercial seed farm 20 minutes north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They provide access to leading-edge equipment, technology, and production practices to enable farmer-centric innovation, advance sustainable technologies and techniques, and increase skills and knowledge.

Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert is located on Area X.O in Ottawa, Ontario. They collaborate wth agtech innovators, companies and producers to foster the next generation of agtech talent, and enable innovators with resources to increase business capital and expand agtech research and development opportunities.

Innovation Farms Ontario powered by AgExpert is located at Haggerty Creek, near Bothwell, Ontario. They conduct research and on-farm testing of emerging agriculture technologies in automation and rotobotics across 2,000 acres in order to optimize agricultural decision making and foster business growth.

Olds College Smart Farm and AgExpert Data Lab is a collaborative space where students and industry professionals can develop, integrate, and test new agricultural technologies and practices. They are home to state-of-the-art equipment and data management systems that enable precise and informed decision-making for the agriculture and food industry.

The four smart farms use AgExpert software as part of their testing, research, and technology development. By creating space for innovators to develop solutions in a real-life setting, and then sharing these insights to inform decision-making, Canadian smart farm leaders can provide farmers with increased confidence as they adopt new technologies on their farms.

2024 marks EMILI’s fifth year hosting its annual Agriculture Enlightened conference in Winnipeg. Join us on November 7, 2024 as we dive into the theme Unlocking Canada’s Innovation and Productivity Paradigm. A full day of keynote and panel discussions will explore diverse perspectives on productivity along the agriculture value chain, innovation taking place across Canada’s smart farm network, and ways to responsibly use data and digital tools on the farm. Purchase your ticket today.

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Video: How women saved agricultural economics and other ideas for why diversity matters | Jill J. McCluskey

Dr. Jill J. McCluskey, Regents Professor at Washington State University and Director of the School of Economic Science

Dr. McCluskey documents that women entered agricultural economics in significant numbers starting in the 1980s, and their ranks have increased over time. She argues that women have increased the relevance in the field of agricultural economics through their diverse interests, perspectives, and experiences. In their research, women have expanded the field's treatment of non-traditional topics such as food safety and nutrition and environmental and natural resource economics. In this sense, women saved the Agricultural Economics profession from a future as a specialty narrowly focused on agricultural production and markets. McCluskey will go on to discuss some of her own story and how it has shaped some of her thinking and research. She will present her research on dual-career couples in academia, promotional achievement of women in both Economics and Agricultural Economics, and work-life support programs.

The Daryl F. Kraft Lecture is arranged by the Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, with the support of the Solomon Sinclair Farm Management Institute, and in cooperation with the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences.