The top student projects from UFA Innovation Day have been selected to pitch their innovative ag idea to a panel of judges at the upcoming Pitch Day, taking place on April 16 at Olds College. Each student will be given 30 minutes to present their idea to the panel of judges from UFA. Winning presentations will have an opportunity to receive financial support from UFA to commercialize their idea or product.
UFA Innovation Day - The Pitch Competition
Thursday, April 16, 2020 | 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m
Kadeema Jean
Currently studying: Bachelor of Applied Science Degree, majoring in Agribusiness
Hometown: Commonwealth of Dominica
“I grew up in a small village in Dominica where agriculture is our main source of income. My dad and other family members are farmers, which is why my interest for the Agricultural Industry increased. Prior to Olds College, I majored in Agriculture at Dominica State College and graduated in 2018. I would love to work in the Agricultural Industry because I would like to prove that women can become agriculturalists, that it's not just a 'man's' job. It is more than cultivating crops or driving tractors, it's a science. My innovative idea will assist in crop diversification in Alberta as well as contributing positively to the environment. This idea will create a linkage between Dominica's and Canada's agricultural industry.”
Wilson Schultz
Currently studying: Agriculture Management Diploma, majoring in Ag Commerce
Hometown: Wetaskiwin, Alberta
“For myself agriculture is fulfilling work. Feeding the world sustainably is an admirable pursuit. Feeling fulfilled in what you do for work breeds passion, and I believe passion breeds success. I have an idea to build an app that tracks pesticide spray records for farmers and custom applicators. The app would make pesticide record keeping faster and more traceable, and traceability promotes sustainability.”
Daniel Stefner
Currently studying: Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Agribusiness
Hometown: St Albert, Alberta
“I've always been extremely passionate about Canadian Agriculture, so I've jumped at every opportunity to be able to continue working in an industry I love. Wilson and I are developing a product to make the use of drift reducing chemical more efficient, by selectively utilizing it only when necessary. Through the use of our product, operators may be able to spray more often in conditions that are less than ideal, while also reducing the overall expense of drift reducing agents.”
Noah Weber
Currently studying: Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Agribusiness
Hometown: Leamington, Ontario
“I want to work in the agriculture sector because it covers a wide range of jobs, such as growing, banking, consulting, bio and chemical sciences, research, mechanical and technical jobs. But the cool thing is that even in most of these areas you still need a general understanding of how agriculture works. Agriculture is a field of endless opportunities regardless of your career preference, there is some sort of job for everyone. I love the diversity and huge opportunities that agriculture offers. My idea is an apple orchard sprayer system with autonomous capabilities, along with drift reduction technology to save on chemicals and money, and be softer on the environment.”
