The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) has committed $100,000 to the Collaboration Zone within Assiniboine Community College’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. The Collaboration Zone is an integral piece of the Centre, where education and industry connection will meet.
MCA is an important organization in Manitoba’s agricultural landscape, representing five key commodities in the province: spring and winter wheat, sunflowers, corn, barley and flax.
“The birth of MCA unified multiple organizations-a great example of evolving with industry needs, much like the college is looking to do with the Prairie Innovation Centre,” said Tim Hore, Dean, School of Agriculture and Environment. “The Prairie Innovation Centre is an important piece of tomorrow’s ag landscape and we are grateful for support from partners like MCA, who are crucial to the success of the Centre.”
Assiniboine has a long and successful history of delivering agricultural programming that is responsive to the need for highly trained workers across the province. The Prairie Innovation Centre is the college’s next step as a national leader in agricultural training, and will aim to meet the growing labour demands in this important sector.
“Students are the future of agriculture,” says Fred Greig, Chair of MCA. “MCA is proud to support the Prairie Innovation Centre Collaboration Zone at Assiniboine Community College as it will enable students to form strong connections within the agriculture industry. The new facility will greatly expand the College’s programming capabilities to educate more students, and will provide new opportunities to learn, connect and collaborate with each other and with industry professionals.”
The Centre will combine indoor and outdoor learning spaces for seamless hands-on learning experiences. It will be a hub for agricultural innovation and collaboration, and stand as the academic heart of agricultural and environmental education in Manitoba.
