TD Bank Group Supports Olds College with $250,000 investment in Autonomous Agriculture
TD Bank Group Supports Olds College with $250,000 investment in Autonomous Agriculture
March 11, 2021, Olds, Alberta: TD Bank Group has committed $250,000 to Olds College in support of autonomous agriculture education and applied research on the Olds College Smart Farm. The funding will support the continuing operation of the DOT Autonomous Platform and the development of the Autonomous Agriculture Education Series.
“The opportunity for careers in Canadian agriculture is only going to grow in the years ahead - with the ag and food sector expecting a shortfall of 123,000 jobs by 2029,” comments Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “Automation and data-analytics are game-changer technologies, including for those who will operate and support the modern farm. Working in collaboration with organizations like TD, we can continue to develop the high tech learning environments and curriculum that will prepare Canada’s next generation of agriculture leaders.”
"As the agriculture industry evolves, it's increasingly important that farmers are given access to the innovative technologies and training that will enable them to be more efficient, while increasing production," stated Nicole Stelter, Vice President of Agriculture Services for Alberta at TD. "We are very excited to provide this funding to Olds College, made possible through the TD Ready Commitment, the bank's Global Corporate Citizenship platform. This contribution aims to help bring the DOT technology as well as the practical application to both students and producers in the agriculture sector."
The DOT Autonomous Platform, will be used for a second season on the Olds College Smart Farm this year. The cutting edge technology is part of a multi-year research project being conducted on the Olds College Smart Farm that is looking at the economic, financial and labour benefits of autonomous equipment for broad acre production.
The Autonomous Agriculture Education Series, consists of a three phase ‘education series’ designed to take producers, with little to no experience in advancing ag technologies, on a journey from a concept through to the adoption of practice on their own operations. Offered through Continuing Education at Olds College, the first session took place virtually on Feb. 24 and had 250 participants registered, with attendees from all over the globe. The next session in the series is scheduled for April 14, 2021.
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