The WGRF Accelerating Capacity initiative puts the people, tools and infrastructure in place to accelerate agricultural research capacity across Western Canada. This investment includes $24 Million invested in equipment and infrastructure at research stations. Click on the map to see how WGRF is Accelerating Capacity near you.
Click on a location marker and find out how Accelerating Capacity is funding regional crop research.
A capital investment in field equipment has transformed the agricultural research program at Farming Smarter in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Farming Smarter received $253,000 from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Accelerating Capacity Initiative in 2021 and purchased a Wintersteiger Flex plot seeder and Quantum Pro plot combine.
Since then, the research program has grown by 25%, new job opportunities have been created and plans for further expansion have been set in motion.
“The new equipment has been tremendously impactful,” says executive director Ken Coles. “Having the right equipment means we can do more state-of-the-art, world class research that helps farmers change the way they farm, and that’s our motto.”
Carlo Van Herk began working at Farming Smarter as a summer student and joined the team full-time when the new seeder and combine arrived. He now works as the field operations lead and is responsible for maintaining the equipment and overseeing research plots.
“The plot seeder is more electric than manual so it’s better able to adjust to field conditions and the combine also has a lot more settings that help us work with more specialty crops, such as camelina seed,” says Van Herk.
The addition of the new equipment means the team can run two seeders in the spring and two combines at harvest, which not only boosts productivity but also lessens operator stress if one has a minor breakdown.
Van Herk adds that the investment has also improved the summer student program because more time is now being spent training the students on equipment usage, maintenance and safety. They end the summer with a lot more equipment experience than in the past, he says.
“Investment in capital is particularly important and it’s often difficult to find grants for not-for-profits to make capital purchases,” says Coles.
WGRF’s investment in equipment has allowed Farming Smarter to shift its focus to planning other capital projects that will advance the organization further.
Coles hopes to move to a larger site location and expand the research program to include potatoes in the near future.
“Southern Alberta is a pretty diverse and amazing agricultural environment to be in and now that there is an investment in irrigation expansion, it’s exciting.”
Farming Smarter is a non-profit research organization that drives innovation in agriculture by bridging ideas and people, conducting practical research and sharing unbiased knowledge.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $240 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.
Photo Caption: Carlo Van Herk, field operations lead at Farming Smarter, uses the new Quantum Pro plot combine to harvest research trials more efficiently.
Agronomy centre transforms Northern Alberta ag research
A new agronomy centre and workshop has significantly improved the capacity and efficiency of the Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA) in Fort Vermilion, Alberta.
The 6,600 square foot facility was made possible through a $300,000 investment from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Accelerating Capacity Initiative as well as contributions from local farmers.
“The centre has expanded our research capacity and enhanced our impact, which has significantly advanced agricultural development in the northernmost commercial agriculture region in Canada,” says Naveen Arora, MARA research manager and scientist.
The new facility replaced an older lab and shop that were small, expensive to operate, and in need of repair. It has eliminated the need to outsource many post-harvest research activities as well as the challenging task of sourcing and renting space for extension events.
“We can now host large events and effectively communicate research data to a broader audience through training programs and workshops throughout the year, which has been very helpful for local producers,” explains Arora.
Since the centre opened, two new full-time research positions have been created and filled. The expanded capacity has also attracted industry and private sector partners to Mackenzie County, which has boosted research collaborations and created additional job opportunities in the region.
Greg Newman, who grows legumes, cereals and oil seeds near Fort Vermilion and serves as MARA’s chair, says building a new site with the capacity for high-level research has been a long-term goal of the MARA board.
He sees attracting and retaining talent as a key benefit of the agronomy centre.
“It wasn’t attractive to come up here and work in the old facility, but now we have a safer and cleaner environment that will allow us to continue to expand into the near future,” he says. “Having more staff not only helps the research program but also means individual producers can get help with their own unique issues.”
The agronomy centre is also benefiting the larger community by providing a new indoor space for the annual Mackenzie County Agricultural Fair and Tradeshow.
MARA is a not-for-profit, producer-driven applied research association that conducts unbiased, innovative agriculture, environmental research and extension delivery. The organization’s ultimate goal is to help local producers increase production, reduce costs, and operate in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $240 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.
Photo credits
MARA’s new agronomy centre and workshop has expanded research capacity, improved efficiency and led to job creation in Fort Vermilion.
The local agriculture community can now gather at MARA’s agronomy centre for extension events and workshops throughout the year.
Western Grains Research Foundation
An investment in infrastructure and equipment has allowed the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) to make many positive advancements – improved efficiency, team growth and program expansion.
IHARF received a $727,470 investment from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Capacity Initiative in 2021 and used the funds to purchase a plot combine, front wheel assist tractor, a variety of sample processing equipment and a drying shed.
Now, they’re reaping the benefits.
“This equipment has definitely made our small plot trials far more efficient and it has really allowed us to expand the on-farm field-scale research that we do,” explains Danny Petty, executive manager.
The most significant purchase was the WIntersteiger Quantum plot combine, which Petty says has had a big impact on harvest operations. The combine’s technology allows researchers to collect and analyze yield data faster than ever before. It has also been a welcome upgrade for the field team as it’s the first time the organization has had a combine with a cab.
The new sample processing assets, which includes grain cleaning equipment, dryer ovens, dust collection systems and a protein analyzer, has streamlined post-harvest processes. Since some of this equipment was previously shared and some of the analysis work outsourced, the ability to complete all processing in-house means researchers can determine results much faster and at a lower cost.
“The drying facilities we had were too small for the size of the farm and were being fully utilized,” explains Petty. “Now that we have built a new drying shed from a shipping container, we can dry samples a lot faster and at the appropriate times.”
An indirect result of the investment has been the expansion of the IHARF staff. One new full-time technician position and one additional summer student position have been added, which has allowed the team to take on more projects and partner with provincial commodity organizations and individual growers on new trials.
Petty adds that expanding the IHARF’s extension program is also on his radar. He has started working with the other Agriculture Applied Research Management (AgriARM) organizations in Saskatchewan to create one location where research publications can be viewed and downloaded.
“There is constant interest in the work that we’re doing and both growers and agronomists are benefitting from the results,” he says. “We’ve had full crowds at our events and new farmers and agronomists are coming to sit on our board of directors, so that tells us that we’re doing something right.”
The IHARF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote profitable and sustainable agriculture by facilitating research and technology transfer activities for the benefit of the agricultural community. The organization manages a small-plot research and demonstration program as well as a field-scale program on 1,200 acres of land.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $229 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.
Western Grains Research Foundation
New equipment is expanding the scope of crop research in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, where Suncrest College operates a research farm in partnership with the East Central Research Foundation (ECRF).
The college received $60,400 from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Accelerating Capacity Initiative and used the funds to construct a sample dryer and purchase a truck and weigh wagon.
“The equipment has actually expanded the type and number of trials we can do,” says Blair Cherneski, ECRF chairperson and Goodeve area farmer. “The funding is a major plus for the research farm and since it benefits research, it benefits local producers.”
Mike Hall, ECRF research coordinator, explains that a shipping container was purchased to build the sample dryer. It was filled with perforated shelves and attached to a garden shed that houses an electric furnace. The dryer works when the furnace blows air through tubing that is installed under the shelves.
“It’s been a great addition because we now have the capacity to dry a lot of plant material,” he says. “The dryer allows us to participate in a wider array of projects, including forage projects, and this year we have been using it to dry down tissue samples from grain crop projects as well.”
Hall’s team previously relied on dryers at other Agriculture Applied Research Management (AgriARM) sites in Saskatchewan. Now, they can now dry samples in a timelier manner which has eliminated the risk of plant material starting to rot in transit.
The new truck is being used for hauling equipment and completing field work. The weigh wagon is making field-scale plot work more efficient.
In addition to the WGRF-funded equipment, the ECRF has obtained a new seed cleaning clipper and screens, dump trailer, custom-made bleachers for plot tours and video equipment. These purchases were made possible through a $14,625 contribution from the Morris Sebulsky estate.
The research team now produces videos to share findings and posts them on YouTube (@eastcentralresearchfoundat1520). The channel, which has attracted over 27,000 views so far, has increased speaking engagement requests and media coverage of research trials.
“We’re a smaller research farm so any time we can get assistance, it’s important to the area,” says Cherneski. “Better infrastructure gives us an opportunity to provide better information to local producers and attract quality people.”
The ECRF is a non-profit organization mandated to conduct crop production research and extension activities in east central Saskatchewan. In 2013, the organization formed a partnership with Parkland College to share resources. Parkland College merged with Cumberland College to become Suncrest College in 2023.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $229 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.
Western Grains Research Foundation
Agricultural research in northern Alberta got a major boost when a brand new $2 million facility opened earlier this year.
The building is the new home of SARDA Ag Research and brings new capacity and improved efficiency to the organization. It’s also an exciting addition to the community of Donnelly, Alberta.
“There’s been lots of buzz about the building,” says executive director Vance Yaremko. “It rained seven inches and we still had 135 people, and not just farmers, come out to the grand opening because people really wanted to see what was going on.”
SARDA Ag Research was previously working out of a 65 year old shop with a cracking foundation and renting office space at a local municipal district building.
When the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) approved $750,000 in Accelerating Capacity Initiative funding towards a new building, Yaremko and his team started planning. Then a local farmer offered to donate 15 acres of land for the project and it was decided that the organization would make the move to Donnelly Corners.
The 10,000 square foot facility is located along Highway 2, which offers exposure and easy access for farmers and other researchers.
The donation of the land has not only helped SARDA Ag Research’s budget for the build, it is also benefiting research by providing space to establish long-term trials.
“Having a site with land where we could secure long-term projects has always been something that SARDA has wanted,” Yaremko explains. “In the past we have leased or rented land from farmers and it becomes a problem if they decide to sell.”
Simon Lavoie, a farmer from St. Isidore who serves as SARDA Ag Research chair, is excited about the opportunity for long-term trials on owned land and sees many benefits of the all-in-one facility.
“In our area it’s the only research centre where farmers can physically go and see how trials are doing, and it’s another tool in our toolbox to help us make decisions,” he says.
Yaremko shares that it’s important to expand agricultural research in the area because many projects that are successful in southern Alberta are not viable or need to be adapted for farmers in northern areas.
In the future, Lavoie would also like to develop a school tour program where students can visit the site and learn about agriculture.
“There are local schools interested in bringing kids through the facility to show them how we do research and now we have a place where we can safely show people what we do and be proud to show them,” he says.
Yaremko and Lavoie hope to secure additional grant funding towards the new building, which would allow SARDA Ag Research to create new jobs and expand programming. A second phase of a building cold storage facility is also being planned.
SARDA Ag Research is a non-profit organization directed by producers from the Municipal Districts of Smoky River, Greenview, Big Lakes County, Northern Sunrise County and the County of Grande Prairie. The centre provides unbiased agricultural research on varieties, fertility management, new product testing and more.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $229 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.
Western Grains Research Foundation
When a new plot combine arrived at the Saskatchewan Conservation Learning Centre (CLC) three years ago, it was an exciting way to improve harvest efficiency. But today, it symbolizes the start of a new era for the farmer-led organization.
As part of the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Accelerating Capacity Initiative, the CLC received nearly $267,000 to replace their 1985 Wintersteiger plot combine with a 2020 model.
"Getting the new combine has made a world of difference and it was really a rejuvenation for the research farm," says Ryan Scragg, CLC chair and farmer from Prince Albert. “The investment in improving local research benefits our area and Saskatchewan agriculture as a whole.”
The Wintersteiger Quantum plot combine automates many post-harvest tasks that previously took researchers a month to complete.
Robin Lokken, general manager of the CLC, explains that the older combine was more difficult to use and the required manual labour created more opportunities for error.
Since the new model improves efficiency and collects better quality data, the team has been able to take on new, more complex research projects. Their increased capacity has boosted engagement as more local farmers are providing input and a growing number of research organizations now want to use the site.
“When I started back in 2017, our research centre was struggling a bit and we were very limited as to what we could do. We had four demonstration projects and now we conduct over 30 projects that include higher level research,” says Lokken.
The initial WGRF investment expanded the CLC’s budget for additional upgrades. “Our capital planning has moved forward by years from where we would have been otherwise, as we’ve invested in a new plot seeder and spraying equipment and have done some site upgrades to be able to host larger events,” Scragg explains.
The new era has also led to job creation within the organization. Since the combine was purchased, staff positions have doubled to include three full-time and three seasonal roles.
Lokken feels that the entire community has been impacted by the combine investment because the rejuvenation of research at the CLC has enabled other programming to expand. The school tour initiative now brings over 1,000 students to the site annually for hands-on learning experiences related to agriculture and the environment.
“The CLC turned 30 this year and with the combine as a key piece of equipment, we are confident in the future of our organization,” says Lokken.
The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and Fertilizer Canada also made contributions towards the combine purchase in 2020.
The CLC is a non-profit organization that serves as a field laboratory for evaluation and applicability of new research and technology. It is a unique research facility because it features rolling topography, wetlands and remnant native upland areas.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $229 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.
Western Grains Research Foundation
A new line of plot equipment has made a world of difference for the Chinook Applied Research Association (CARA) in Oyen, Alberta. Crop researchers now have more capacity to study and present innovative and profitable practices to local farmers and ranchers.
CARA received a $267,000 investment from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Capacity Initiative, which made it possible for a plot combine, tractor, pickup truck, GPS unit, cargo trailer and a mower tractor to be purchased.
“The equipment has improved the overall efficiency and quality of our small plot adaptive research trials,” says CARA manager and forage agronomist Dianne Westerlund. “The equipment funding also freed up some budget so we have the flexibility to add more technicians and take on more trials.”
The CARA team has recently grown by 1.5 field technicians and two to three summer technicians. The volume of plot work has increased by 25 per cent in the last five years, which Westerlund says is largely due to having newer equipment.
The combine allows researchers to harvest a greater quantity of trials in a timely manner. Dedicating the new tractor to seeding equipment and using the previously owned tractor exclusively for spraying has also improved operational efficiency.
Braeden Peers, CARA crop agronomist, says the truck and trailer have also played a role in improving efficiency as both equipment and people can be moved twice as fast as in the past.
For Peers, having modern research equipment is directly related to collecting better quality data for the agricultural community.
“A lot of the equipment that we were running was getting to be out of date and worn out so I think it was necessary to get newer research equipment in the area,” he says. “When farmers are rotating out their equipment every five to 10 years and CARA isn’t, our data becomes a lot less relevant.”
Westerlund adds that the equipment upgrades have boosted the confidence among the researcher team because they are collecting and analyzing higher quality data.
She explains that the purpose of the association is to research agricultural technologies and adapt them to the unique growing conditions presented by a semi-arid area with problem soils.
“We take varieties and agronomic practices that have been developed in a research situation and evaluate them in the conditions of east central Alberta, and then adapt the technology so that it adds value to local producers.”
The current CARA program is focused on variety trials in cereals, pulses and forages as well as private industry product trials related to soil health. The team shares data through extension activities such as tours, field days and newsletters.
CARA is a producer-directed society dedicated to expanding agricultural research activity in the Special Areas and MD of Acadia. For more information, visit chinookappliedresearch.ca or find CARA on Facebook or Twitter.
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian producers. To date, more than $229 million has been invested to support diverse crop research projects.
The WGRF has committed $32 million to the Accelerating Capacity Initiative to expand crop research capacity.