Hands-on Learning: Agronomy Field Students On Tour

Earlier this summer, Industry Training & Continuing Education (ITCE) at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology welcomed 18 Agronomy Level 1 Students to campus for their five-day Field School residency — the final milestone toward earning their certificate and launching their careers in agriculture. Field School is the capstone course of the Agronomy Level 1 Certificate, and provides students with a practical, hands-on application of the skills gained throughout the online courses. This entry-level program answers the industry’s call for well-trained crop scouts who possess essential agronomic knowledge of Western Canadian farming.     

Throughout the five online courses that lead to Field School, students learned:

• the basics of botany and production cycles for crops in Western Canada
• insect and disease management
• principles of soil formation, management and fertility
• weed fundamentals and their impact on various ecosystems 
• an introduction to the technologies used in data collection for field scouting 

The Field School students also participated in a field trip while on campus for their hands-on residency, visiting the Alberta Ag Centre (AAC) east of Olds. AAC is an agricultural equipment dealership with six locations across southern and central Alberta, selling and supporting CLAAS, Horsch, SeedMaster, MacDon and Geringhoff, among other brands. AAC also has a partnership with the Olds College Smart Farm, sponsoring a CLAAS tractor that is used to seed the Smart Farm crop annually. Students toured the dealership for a behind-the-scenes look at the latest and greatest equipment that supports the future of Agriculture.

“We appreciate the opportunity to host dealership tours and hope to continue going forward”, says Trent Quaife, Precision Services, AAC. “These events give us a chance to show off the equipment that we take pride in selling and supporting, and it is an enjoyable experience for us as a dealership. We are excited to continue our collaboration with Olds College"

Partnering with community organizations like AAC allows Olds College to offer agronomy students valuable learning experiences, industry networking opportunities and direct access to cutting-edge technology.  

By bridging online and classroom learning with real-world industry experience, Olds College continues to equip the next generation of agronomy professionals with the practical skills needed to drive Western Canada’s agricultural future.