Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) has partnered with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) on a research project focusing on the Crown corporation’s AgExpert Field farm management software involving exclusion areas. Portions of any field can be excluded from cultivated cropping practices for several reasons, including unsuitable soil for growing crops, along with factors like rock piles, natural areas and permanent or temporary waterways. FCC has asked Olds College to determine what areas are excluded within the Olds College Smart Farm and the reason for the exclusion. This was completed in Alberta and at the College’s fields near Craik, Sask.
The core objective is to evaluate FCC’s AgExpert Field software by using real-world data from the Olds College Smart Farm. Researchers are inputting field activity and financial data from the farm to help test and improve the software. The goal is to obtain profitability data and provide feedback to FCC to validate, educate or enhance the software’s functionality.
The Smart Farm is a living laboratory for crop, livestock and agricultural technology research spread over 3,000 acres that provides a unique and valuable setting for this research. Its extensive collection of data and resources from a real-world farming environment can assist FCC in refining its digital tools for Canadian producers. The one-year project, which began in 2025 and ends in 2026, is part of a larger, renewed commitment from FCC that underscores a long-standing collaboration with Olds College, which honored the Crown corporation as Partner of the Year for 2025.