The Olds College Smart Farm was thrilled to welcome another visitor from University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia.
Joshua Bramley, a fifth and final-year Mechatronic Engineering student at UNSW, spent two weeks working alongside Roy Maki, Research Project Manager at the Smart Farm, and the Smart Ag Applied Research team, gaining hands-on experience during the busy harvest season.
Bramley received the Horizon Scholarship from AgriFutures Australia, designed to support the next generation of leaders in the agriculture industry. With the support of this scholarship, he knew he wanted to expand his learning in North America.
His decision to come to Alberta was influenced by Jay Katupitiya, an associate professor at UNSW who spent seven weeks at Olds College the previous summer. Katupitiya recommended the Smart Farm as a "must-see," and Bramley took that advice — and he is so glad he did.
Within two weeks, Bramley helped with a variety of different research projects, such as:
“The facilities are first class,” expresses Bramley.
"It’s great to see a place equipped with all the bells and whistles, where you can trial and explore without the same time and financial pressures many producers face. Having 3,000 acres for large-scale testing and research is incredibly unique for Olds College."
One of the highlights of his visit was seeing the OMNiPOWER platform in person — a standout moment for the aspiring engineer.
“I want to thank the Olds College Smart Farm teams for having me,” says Bramley.
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.