Applied research activities on the Pitstra Farm

This story was brought to you in partnership with Olds College of Agriculture and Technology.

The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology is a specialized division committed to applied research in livestock production. 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 potential to improve animal health and welfare, increase production efficiency, and enhance environmental sustainability. Livestock producers, innovators, and small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) collaborate with the TACLP to develop, validate, and showcase new practices and
technologies – moving them towards industry acceptance and commercialization.

The Pitstra Farm, 308 acres of native and tame pasture land located near Carstairs, AB, was generously donated to Olds College by Willem and Marrigje Pitstra in 2019. The TACLP oversees the management of the Pitstra Farm, an essential part of the Olds College Smart Farm, where the College cow herd grazes in summer months.

The combination of pasture types on the Pitstra Farm – 115.4 acres of tame and 192.6 acres of native
pasturelands – and its close proximity to other Smart Farm locations allow for efficient operations, applied
research and technology integration projects between sites. Researchers from the TACLP leverage the Pitstra Farm to test technologies and management practices for improving on-farm profitability and sustainability in cattle production systems.

Current projects include: the use of innovative technology and rotational grazing practices on the Pitstra Farm; testing seed blends, validating soil biological additives, verifying soil carbon technologies and assessing rotational grazing practices with satellite imaging.

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 1 of ABP Magazine (February 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.