Notice Board

The Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) presents a session with Farming Smarter Executive Director Ken Coles as he discusses the challenges of modern farming.

Farming Smarter can be a Catch Phrase, but does Sustainable Food Production depend on it?

Date/time: Thursday, September 29, 2022, from 12 to 1 p.m. The venue room will be available by 11:15 a.m.

Cost: Free, but donations are gratefully accepted 

Location: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO) Atrium Dining Room, 500 - 11 Street South, Lethbridge, AB

Please arrive early to patronize the LSCO cafeteria and enjoy their excellent variety of good value food options

Farming Smarter is a policy governed, non-profit organization with bylaws under the Alberta Societies Act. It is also a Canadian Charity registered under the Canada Revenue Agency. Their farming related projects and programs access funds from numerous sources including research grants, foundations, industry, partners and all levels of government.

The speaker will argue, and many people tend to agree, that applied agri-food research is very important. Yet, funding is a big issue. Rarely have significant government investments been made available and future funding is uncertain. The research Farming Smarter does may not be the most attractive, but it’s the type farmers at field level most value. The fact that Farming Smarter works for farmers and not corporate interests, increases the trust among producers that the information they are getting, is more than just an advertisement for the latest product available.

For the family farm to survive, research, innovation and funding of such will be a main challenge going forward. Among other issues facing farmers is Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions Program, which aims to encourage farmers to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use 30 per cent by 2030, first by incentives and later through regulations. For context, between 2005 and 2019, fertilizer application increased by 71 per cent in Canada, primarily driven by more fertilizer use in Western Canada. Over the same period, N2O emissions from fertilizer use in Canada increased by 54 per cent.

Speaker: Ken Coles

Ken Coles leads Farming Smarter as its executive director. Contact him if you want to know anything about anything, offer Farming Smarter money, suggest ways your organization can enter a win/win situation or develop mutually beneficial streams of income. Ken works closely with and listens to his staff. Therefore, he knows what farming issues exist.

Ken's passions include the practical application of science and critical thinking, effective leadership, communication and dialogue, strategic relationships and having a little fun along the way. He is focused on agriculture research and educated himself for the job with a degree in chemistry from the University of Lethbridge and a Master of Science, Environment and Management from Royal Roads University. 

Through Monsanto Canada Inc., Lethbridge Research Centre, Alberta Pool Research and Development, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Ken became a research manager and organizational leader. He then joined Southern Applied Research Association and created Farming Smarter — Alberta's leading crop research institution. Ken is a 2022 Nuffield Canada Scholar and farms mixed grains on irrigated land near Coaldale, AB.

For further information on the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, visit the SACPA website.