GrainsWest Winter 2021

Winter 2021 Grains West 18 PERSON PLACE & THING GW: How does RDAR differ from other groups or councils that now exist? DC: We’re different because we are not an arm of government. We are independ- ent and we [are] arm’s-length. We are an entity with membership, members who will be voting and appointing their own directors, approving their own bylaws and the mechanics of how we operate from a governance and process perspective. We also represent both livestock and crops, really the first time in Alberta that has happened. We need to think about the greater agriculture view, not just one sec- tor. Let’s come up with priorities that can cross over sectors, and therefore leverage the results and get people thinking more broadly. We were very successful in that. We will also have a commitment of long- term, stable funding. GW: What can you tell me about how research projects are selected? DC: We will identify research projects based on their merit. Not all research projects produce successful outcomes in terms of improving productivity in the way producers operate. We will very much focus on getting the results to producers in a form that can be adopted. So, we won’t be focusing so much on pure research. It will be more in the middle. We want it to be applied and with an em- phasis on transfer of knowledge. GW: The group has moved quickly. Proposals went out in early winter and now applicants are being notified. How soon will we start to see results from RDAR operations? DC: We’re shortening the timeline to award these projects [in January]. Then the research projects can take from six month to two years to even longer, so it takes time. But keep in mind that we are ensuring there are no gaps in the transfer and we will fund research and other ac- tivities that are up and ready, making sure they continue to evolve and develop with reporting of results continually. GW: You are now serving as RDAR chair on an interim basis. Will you continue to remain involved? DC: This is such an exciting opportunity. I’m enthusiastic and would be prepared and would like to serve. But of course, that’s not in my hands. You have to earn that privilege, that right, and earn the confidence of the members to do so. GW: From a personal perspective, if there was one type of research you could personally fund to solve a problem in agriculture, what would it be? DC: I would do something on the genomic side in the beef industry. There is such a great opportunity in the beef sector to adopt genomics through selection. The second, in the same area, is improvement in synchronized breeding and the artifi- cial insemination system. That way, the best sires for various traits in the industry can be spread over more cows in a more efficient and effective way. GW: You grew up in agriculture and have had a long career in it. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen over the years? DC: Definitely the scale and sophistica- tion. I mean all of this research, training and education in smart farming and pre- cision farming just shows that farming is no longer that sector or industry that is not competitive with other sectors in terms of modernization and adoption of new technologies. It’s very exciting. GW: What impact has that moderni- zation had on the industry aside from production? DC: It’s why we have so many bright young people getting engaged and attract- ed to agriculture, even those from outside the industry. There’s a whole population of students who don’t even consider agri- culture as an option, they want to be an engineer or work in IT. You can have all that and work in agriculture. GW: Is there anything that worries you about the future of agriculture in Alberta? DC: I am an optimist, I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. I’m not despondent about the state of agriculture. We have to unleash our potential and harness that to create jobs and through research, innovation and knowledge transfer we can get producers to a greater level of profitability and, thus, sustainability. The interim board chair of RDAR, Dave Chalack has held many leadership roles within the agriculture industry.