According to Amelle Tizzard, true sustainable farming requires a multidisciplinary approach, a combination of agricultural sciences, environmental sciences and technology – a unique blend she found at Lakeland College.

Growing up as an “acreage kid” in the Bonnyville, Alta. area, Tizzard spent her childhood riding horses and helping other local operations with their cattle. In high school, her interests expanded to include more of the crop side of things after she began working at the Lakeland Agriculture Research Association.

When she turned her attention to post-secondary, she chose Lakeland because of its proximity to home. It was just her luck that it happened to be the first year of Lakeland’s new agricultural sustainability program.

“I really liked the agriculture side of things but still wanted environmental sciences mixed in, and ag sustainability was my outlet for that because it’s half and half.”

The two-year diploma program launched in 2021 as a way to bridge the gap between Lakeland’s agricultural sciences program and environmental sciences. Students study both livestock and crop production as well as soil science, water management and plant identification.

“It was one of the best experiences, just being able to integrate those two worlds together,” Tizzard says. “Just having that mix of environmental sciences opened my eyes to how they intertwine with each other, and they really do completely mesh with each other. You need to have the environmental side with the agriculture side to actually do things properly. You can’t just deplete your soils while worrying about the farming side and making money. You have to think about the environment to keep your farm going.”

After graduating from the program in 2023, Tizzard enrolled in Lakeland’s bachelor of agriculture technology program – the first of its kind in Canada.

“I thought I would broaden my horizon and see more of a full perspective of agriculture,” she says. “It’s a nice way to be able to get a degree. You spend eight more months in classes and then eight months working to get real industry experience.”

She’s now in her second and final year of the program, most of which is spent on practicum. She’s working for the County of Vermilion River out of Kitscoty in the agriculture and environment department as a vegetation management technician. It’s a position that involves clubroot in canola inspections, scouting for and spraying noxious weeds, rat inspections, community outreach through workshops and local events and participating in Alberta government crop surveys.

Students on practicum are also required to complete a research project, returning to the college to present their findings in March. Tizzard’s project involves ArcGIS Field Maps, an app that brings integrated maps to mobile devices for data capture and reporting.

“Technology is a huge part of sustainability,” says Tizzard, who is already looking forward to sharing her findings in the spring. “All the new integrated systems are going to make your operation run more efficiently.”