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Agriculture Financial Services Corporation named Olds College 2023 Partner of the Year

Olds College of Agriculture and Technology is delighted to announce that Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) has been named Partner of the Year for 2023. This recognition celebrates AFSC’s exceptional collaboration and significant contributions to the agriculture and agri-food industry in Alberta.

Collaboration between Olds College and AFSC has been instrumental in driving innovation, providing technical solutions and creating valuable training opportunities for the agriculture industry. Remarkable progress has been made together in advancing knowledge, improving data collection and analysis, and integrating cutting-edge technologies to address real-world agricultural challenges.

“We take great pride in acknowledging AFSC as our esteemed Partner of the Year for their unwavering dedication to supporting Alberta’s vibrant agriculture sector,” says Todd Ormann, vice-president, development, Olds College. “Their collaboration has played a pivotal role in advancing applied research and addressing the industry’s day-to-day challenges. Together, we have achieved remarkable progress in harnessing technology and implementing best practices, benefiting producers and nurturing the next generation of industry leaders.”

The award recognizes the successful joint initiatives undertaken by AFSC and Olds College. Notable projects include initiatives like drone-based classification of hail damage, analysis of soil moisture probe measurements to address moisture deficiency and exploration of the relationships between soil moisture, weather patterns and forage biomass. These initiatives aim to revolutionize the agriculture industry through innovative technologies and methodologies.

In addition to their research contributions, AFSC has also actively facilitated knowledge exchange and educational initiatives benefiting Olds College students. AFSC experts have delivered impactful presentations and guest lectures on important topics including data collection, risk management, financial analysis and technology integration. In turn, Olds College has provided specialized training for AFSC staff, focusing on crop identification and strategies to reduce loss.

“AFSC is proud to be named the Olds College 2023 Partner of the Year. With Olds College, we share a common desire to work together to grow and sustain the agriculture industry. Our partnership fosters opportunity to help drive innovation that benefits producers, our clients and the agri-food industry in Alberta,” says Darryl Kay, CEO of AFSC. “Our collaboration on joint applied research initiatives with the Smart Farm has provided AFSC with boots-on-the-ground testing and learnings for technologies and practices that aim to help producers in real agriculture settings. This focus continues to inspire the work we do, further strengthening our commitment to developing solutions to the common challenges faced by our industry.”