The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology has been granted a total of $1,750,000 – $350,000 annually until 2031 – from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) as part of the centre’s five year renewal. This funding was made available from NSERC through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program’s Technology Access Centres grant, allowing TACLP to continue to support applied research activities.
Established in 2016, the TACLP uses its resources — which include a 1,000-head capacity feedlot, commercial cow/calf herd, purebred Red Angus herd, sheep flock, and broadacre native and tame pasture – to demonstrate and optimize technologies with priorities to improve animal health and welfare, increase production efficiency and enhance environmental sustainability.
The TACLP supports beef and sheep producers through services such as feeding trials, on-farm consultations, training, custom animal management and data interpretation. In addition, the rapidly expanding agriculture technology sector brings a variety of innovators and researchers from across North America seeking TACLP’s help with third-party product testing, validation and development support as they work to move the industry forward.
“Our goal is to provide research and innovation support that will contribute to the success of the livestock industry,” says Sean Thompson, Research Chair, Olds College Centre for Innovation. “This includes primary livestock producers, small to medium enterprises, innovators and other post-secondary institutions, and incorporates the validation and demonstration of new practices and technologies that promote profitability and sustainability. Thanks to this grant renewal, TACLP will continue to execute industry-driven, college-led, applied research projects that will build on our mandate to support the Canadian livestock industry.”
Leveraging the funding support from NSERC, the TACLP will continue to provide their core fee-for-service offerings and ongoing livestock research activities, in addition to new services specific to sheep industry stakeholders. As well, the TACLP aims to conduct more product and technology validation projects, which will be enhanced by strategic equipment investments.
“The initial support provided by the CCI program has allowed the TACLP to develop into a regional resource hub for the livestock industry, and we look forward to a continued successful relationship with NSERC,” says Todd Ormann, Olds College Vice President, External Relations & Research. “We’re excited to contribute to the sustainable growth of Canada’s agricultural industry while addressing the real-world challenges that producers face.”
The TACLP has grown into a trusted hub where new ideas take shape and real-world solutions to livestock production challenges are put to the test. By bridging innovation with hands-on validation, it helps move promising technologies, products and best practices out of theory and into the daily operations of beef cattle and sheep producers.
To learn more about TACLP ongoing research projects, visit oldscollege.ca/smartfarm.
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.