News Archives: NWP Cultivates Research Partnerships to Grow Impact
Wednesday, November 8th, 2023
Grain producers along with panelists, industry leaders and research specialists attended the event.
Joint Event Highlights Current and Future Opportunities in Agriculture
Last week, Northwestern Polytechnic had the privilege of hosting RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research) at NWP's Grande Prairie campus. With a cornucopia of agriculture research possibilities in Northern Alberta, the half-day event focused on grain farming and gaining a deeper understanding of shared opportunities for success.
The November 1st event was timed after harvest to encourage maximum participation from the growing community. Grain producers from across the region were invited along with panelists, industry leaders, research specialists and others.
"This year, we had grain under the microscope, but in the future, NWP and RDAR plan to explore opportunities for important soil and animal health dialogue as well," says Sivagowry Lewis, NWP's Acting Dean of Applied Research and Innovation. "Our hope is that this inaugural event will become a regular learning, partnership and networking opportunity for producers, industry, academics and the broader community."
The goal of RDAR on the Road North Edition: Cultivating Partnerships to Grow Impact, was to bring together producers, producer organizations, economic development specialists, research associations, funders and representatives to engage in conversation about challenges and opportunities facing grain producers in the Peace Region. Over 65 people took part in the day, benefiting from presentations and discussion panels geared at expanding research to increase the economic impact of innovation in our community.
"This event highlighted the importance of working with industry to understand priorities and challenges, as well as the potential for shared solutions," added Lewis. "NWP was excited to connect with the bright minds in our growing research ecosystem and to share recent applied research developments at Alberta's newest polytechnic."
Attendees heard from NWP's researchers at the National Bee Diagnostic Centre (NBDC) and the recently launched Agriculture and Biosciences Applied Research Centre (ABARC) in Beaverlodge. Topics included bee health, regenerative agriculture, and microbiology developments.
Recognizing the importance of connecting people, ideas, and local priorities, RDAR South hosted a similar event in Lethbridge in October and was excited to build on this momentum in Northern Alberta.
"RDAR wants to listen to producers' voices from across the province and hear about what's most important to the agriculture in their region. This enables us to focus investment on research projects where they can make the most difference," said Dr. Mark Redmond, RDAR's CEO, "We were also delighted to meet with NWP's staff and students and show the potential for interdisciplinary studies and to attract more students to the agriculture industry. We know that agriculture is important opportunity for business majors, economic analysts, data scientists, and those interested in agronomy and animal production and health."
