Atlantic Agricultural Science and Communication Workshop 2007

What are the prospects for the bio-economy in the Atlantic Region? Will it be innovation or exploitation? Can we look forward to healthy and prosperous rural and agricultural communities if Atlantic Canada pursues a bio-renaissance? At Nova Scotia Agricultural College we have decided to explore these questions during the Atlantic Agricultural Science and Communication Workshop (AASCW 2007) being held at the NSAC campus in Truro on November 15 and 16, 2007.

Book your calendar today as you will want to be first in line to take in the events.
This workshop brings together a range of agri-food professionals and practitioners to focus on broad issues and information of current interest. It is a must for those who want to remain current in the science and technology of agriculture and food. For those who are interested in agricultural innovation and the emerging bio-economy, it simply can't be missed. Plan now to attend a forum for dialogue on new information and issues affecting the research, extension, infrastructure and private industry initiatives in our Atlantic agricultural and agri-food systems. Researchers, farm leaders, educators, extension workers, entrepreneurs, agri-food firms and services, and students will participate in this workshop.

“With the demise of the Atlantic Agriculture Coordinating Committees, this workshop is meant to be an alternate venue to increase communication, cooperation and coordination in agriculture and related areas across the region. The goal of this workshop is to make sure that this region works together, communicates together and doesn’t duplicate effort,” says Dr. Caldwell, co-chair of the AASCW. “The AASCW highlights new opportunities in agriculture related areas and rural development. The workshop gives people the chance to network across the Atlantic region, hear about successes in other places similar to our region, and to learn from these successes to build better value chains and communities as well as safer food systems.”

The theme for AASCW 2007 is Atlantic Bio-Renaissance: Health is our Future Wealth. This theme highlights three innovative sub-themes which will enable participants to develop new insights, network with colleagues and discuss future strategies that will have an impact on agri-business development. “The AASCW is an Atlantic initiative. NSAC is facilitating it but it is Atlantic in scope,” says Dr. Caldwell. “Bio-Renaissance speaks to the idea of the rebirth of the region using the bio-economy to work with communities and across commodities and provinces. Agriculture is people-centered and rural-centered and having a healthy population and community as well as healthy relationships between rural and urban, will be key to our success in the region.”

The sub-themes are:
1. Bio-fuels
2. Rural health and agricultural safety 3. Food and the value chain

These sub-themes have been identified as prominent areas that will play a significant role in the future agriculture opportunities and challenges throughout our region. Bio-fuels is a timely subject because there are opportunities now to use bio-economy and technology to replace fossil fuels, and to see how it affects the community.

“We can look at this from a technical side and a social side,” says Dr. Caldwell. The rural health and agricultural safety theme is about pulling in the number of AASCW partners in public health, environment, and water. Food and the value chain was also chosen as a sub-theme this year because rather than looking at the technology of food production or food to fork or soil to shelf, the workshop will look at how to make systems work. “Often, in a value chain, the producers don’t make enough money or their product is not developed enough so we end up exporting raw materials but we want economic spin-off and we want to export final products,” says Dr. Caldwell. “It’s how we build the value chains that makes the difference. At this year’s workshop, there will be people from England, Western Canada, and the local area specializing in value chains. We can learn from their experience how to build economic and environmentally sustainable food systems.”

Poster presentations will also be featured at this workshop. The poster presentations will provide an opportunity to exhibit recent findings or work in progress on one of the three sub-theme areas or in a “wild card” sub-theme category on a specific research, extension, education or industry development program. “The ‘wild card’ posters will allow people to see new developments in the region that aren’t necessarily part of the theme,” says Dr. Caldwell.

A special section of the displays will be allocated to poster presentations from graduate students. “This will provide students with presentation experience and an opportunity to meet all of the best people in agriculture, rural development and environmental sciences in the region which creates the potential for future jobs,” says Dr. Caldwell.

The posters will not be judged as a competition. It is recognized that many of these posters will feature work in progress and not necessarily all final conclusions. Participating graduate students may be from any university. The 4' X 4' white Styrofoam display boards and straight pins will be provided by the workshop. Presenters will install their information on the assigned poster board between 1:30 pm and 4:30 pm on Wednesday, November 15, 2007.Posters will be exhibited at the NSAC campus in Jenkins Hall from 4:30 pm on November 15 until 12:30 pm on November 16, 2007.

To answer questions from viewers, poster presenters are expected to be present at their poster display from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm on November 15, 2007.
Poster authors should apply in advance to present a poster. The deadline for poster submissions is September 1, 2007.

For more information regarding the workshop, poster presentations and registration, please visit http://nsac.ca/aascw/. If you are an agricultural professional, scientist, rural community activist, farmer, consultant, student or are simply interested in agricultural or rural life, watch this website for more details on the workshop program.