The governments of Canada and Manitoba through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) are investing more than $1.3 million over five years to Assiniboine Community College (ACC) for horticulture production research.

This funding supports the continued growth of ACC’s applied research and extension programming by uniting agricultural education, innovation, industry collaboration, extension and applied research. The federal and provincial ag ministers noted this investment builds on the previous ‘Field to Fork’ funding which provided significant results including exceeding student enrolment targets by more than 400 per cent and developing multiple new technologies.

“The next generation of producers is facing a future trying to balance climate change and environmental protection while ensuring that their operations remain viable,” said Manitoba ag minister Ron Kostyshyn.

Two projects currently underway at ACC include conducting research on high-tunnel crop production and research in a passive greenhouse setting, which reduces the production costs compared to a standard greenhouse. These studies contribute to making crops grown in Manitoba available over a longer season and work towards providing communities with opportunities to develop local food supply options. ACC is also researching crop varieties, agronomy and cropping systems to develop crops that are more resilient to extreme weather conditions and in collaboration with northern Indigenous communities create adaptable growing systems such as passive-solar greenhouses that foster year-round crop production.

Source:  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada January 17, 2024 news release