The Olds College Smart Farm is made up of more than 3,000 acres of land for crop and forage production including state-of-the-art equipment and technology, 1,000-head capacity feedlot, commercial cow/calf herd, Purebred Red Angus herd and sheep flock — as well as expertise and leadership in ag tech research and development. The Smart Farm also has access to greenhouses, labs, incubator space, a brewery, the National Meat Training Centre, plus additional infrastructure at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology.
As technology continues to influence the way we live, work and farm, smart farms and technology development have a critical role to play in the global grand challenge of feeding a growing population with fewer resources while reducing the environmental impact.
The purpose of the Olds College Smart Farm is to:
New technologies for agriculture require in-field testing and validation in the setting of an operating farm to move through the innovation chain, and into the hands of farmers and producers. Since the Smart Farm is connected to a post-secondary institution, it has the space and flexibility to incorporate projects, activities and initiatives into day-to-day farming operations.
The Smart Farm creates a place for producers, industry partners, students and faculty to look at the opportunities and challenges facing the agriculture industry and investigate solutions to evolve agriculture practices.
Primarily focused on five main areas of applied research — autonomous agricultural equipment, sensors, data utilization, technology development and validation, and regenerative agriculture — the Smart Farm is working towards providing producers with real-life applied research to help them make informed decisions about implementing technology in their own operations.
As technology continues to influence the way we live, work and farm, smart farms and technology development have a critical role to play in the global grand challenge of feeding a growing population with fewer resources while reducing the environmental impact. Olds College of Agriculture & Technology — one of Canada's Top 10 Research Colleges — is known for high-tech, hands-on agriculture education and innovative applied research that lays the foundation for solving real-world problems in farming, food and land.
The Olds College Smart Ag Ecosystem is accelerating the progress and innovation needed to grow Canada’s ag industry — and the Olds College Smart Farm is at the heart of it all.
The Olds College Smart Farm includes +3,000 acres of land for crops and forage production (excluding ponds, roadways and natural areas):
1,117 acres on main campus at Olds, AB
418 acres across Highway 2
308 acres at Pitstra Farm west of Carstairs, AB
312 acres at Steckler Farm west of Didsbury
800 acres west of Craik, SK
The Olds College Smart Farm also maintains a cow herd with approximately 140 commercial breeding females. The College uses a 3-way cross of Gelbvieh, Simmental and Angus. In addition to the commercial beef cattle, Olds College has a herd of 16 Purebred Red Angus animals with plans to continue expanding that number in future years. On average, the Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) evaluates over 1,000 animals each year for custom feeding trials, residual feed intake trials, and other research initiatives on a fee-for-service or cost recovery basis. The Smart Farm also includes 150 breeding ewes. The animals at Olds College are involved with student learning opportunities along with applied research activities on the Smart Farm.
The Smart Farm recently received a certificate for completing the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) – a voluntary, whole farm, self-assessment tool that helps producers identify and develop plans to mitigate their environmental risks. Five years in the making, this large achievement was a truly collaborative effort between students, faculty and the Smart Farm team at the College.
Primary research areas for the Smart Farm and Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) are focused on crop production, livestock production, environmental stewardship, technology integration and data utilization.
Stay informed about ongoing and upcoming Smart Farm projects and initiatives at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology.
