One of the best benefits of being in the journalism profession is that occasionally you are able to take part in media tours. One of the best of these is put together by the Alberta Farm Writers Association (AFWA), of which I am a member.
The AFWA farm tour is a two-day event held every June. This year it took us to the Brooks area, where we toured the Crop Diversification Centre South.
The centre dates back to 1935 when it was operated by Alberta Agriculture. Over the decades, it evolved into a leading research facility, supporting advancements in crop science and sustainable farming practices. It eventually grew to encompass 32 greenhouses, specialized laboratories and other facilities covering more than 700 acres.
However, in 2020, the provincial government decided to restructure agricultural research, focusing more on industry-led initiatives rather than government-run programs. As a result, the once-thriving research facility saw a decline in activity, leading to it becoming essentially abandoned.
Recently, Newell County has been working with the province to revitalize the centre.
“We realized we had this wonderful big facility, and there was a need for more research about irrigation and crop science,” said Todd Green, the county’s director of agricultural services. “We decided to approach the province to collaborate with them to get it running again.”
The county has signed a 10-year lease with the province and incorporated a not-for-profit agency to manage the centre. The goal is to rehabilitate the facility and bring it back to life by making it accessible to the research community on a cost-recovery basis.
A revitalization effort is underway to make it more accessible to the research community. For example, the research greenhouse is being upgraded to incorporate recent technologies.
A call for expressions of interest has gone out, inviting researchers and agricultural professionals to utilize the facility for innovative projects. At the same time, funding opportunities through programs like the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership in Alberta are being explored to support research and development.
“The great part about a research facility is that it has a lot of different uses,” said Green. “We’ve done a full evaluation and anticipate that, by fall, we should have a functioning facility ready to market.”
Potential customers for the facility include universities and colleges conducting studies on crop improvement, pest control and greenhouse technologies; companies developing new crop varieties, fertilizers and farming techniques; groups supporting sustainable farming and environmental conservation; and farmer-led organizations collaborating on research to enhance productivity.
Research centres like the Brooks facility help the ag industry improve crop yields, optimize irrigation techniques and enhance food processing methods to grow the industry at home and abroad.
The revitalization is a step toward rebuilding Alberta’s agricultural research capacity, ensuring that the province continues to contribute to advancements in crop science and sustainable farming.
With renewed investment and collaboration, the Crop Diversification Centre South is poised to reclaim its role as a leading agricultural research facility.
