A Look From Within: November 2011

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Venimus, Vidimus, Nos Victi. We Came, We Saw, We Conquered.

Judging Team

Lakeland judges judging Westie's

On October 13, the Lakeland judging team left for Saskatoon to compete in the U of S Judging Competition. Kate Dinwoodie, Christina Hager, Shelby Crick, Luke Wrubleski, and Megan Kemp, Seamus Good, Katie Williams, JoriekeVennik, Jillian Overby, Gail Verlysen, Raelene Mollenback and coach Lorraine Serhienko all participated in the event. The team stayed at the Super 8 in Saskatoon on Thursday evening in preparation for the judging competition on Friday.

At the competition the team judged Westie dogs, beef bulls, beef heifers, horses, pumpkins, rations, and identified plants from western Canada. Megan Kemp took first overall individual judge, with Reylene Mollenback taking second and Christina Hager taking third. Lakeland also took first and second in the team competition, as well as winning a number of the class competitions.

Megan Kemp, Raylene Mollenback and Christina Hager showing off their hardware

The Lakeland Judging Team

Friday evening they went to a local pasta restaurant with amazing pasta, before heading out the biggest university party in Saskatchewan, Ag Bag Drag! The next morning the judging team headed back west for Vermilion, some in better shape than others, and all happy to have done great at the competition.

Rowing Team

The Lakeland Rustler's Rowing Team in Burnaby

The Lakeland College Rustlers rowing team sent a ladies 8+ team and a mens 4+ team to Burnaby, BC, for their final competition of the season; the Western Canadian University Rowing Championships on October 23rd.

The ladies 8+ rowing team comprised of Amy Smith, Michelle Blanchette, Nicole Mark, Danielle Walker, Lindsay Stanko, Kat Wiggans, Calla Martin, Laura Schmale and Dawn Rosset placed 2nd in their 1000m race. The men’s 4+ team comprised of Richard Ellens, Brian Huisman, Ryan Lutz and Curtis Ross placed 4th in their 2000m race.

The Mens 4+ team

The Rustler's impressed the other team’s coaches as the Lakeland students have only been rowing since the beginning of September and were competing against students from universities who have been rowing for up to six years. Rowing Coach Peter Walsh is very proud of his team and says that they did a great job representing Lakeland College and putting our school on the map.

Farm Kids Doing It Big in the City

AgriBusiness Class On Field Trip

Professor Robert Dixon at Farmfair

Group of young students getting ready for Farmfair

Aydon Almberg and Christina Hager talking about Herford Cattle

Aydon Almberg with one of the Herfords he was showing at Farmfair

Robert Dixon strongly expressing his opinion

Agribusiness class at Farmfair International

Waiting to find out rooms at our downtown hotel

Christina Hager (left) and Kate Dinwoodie (right) enjoying their night

Kate Dinwoodie

AgriBusiness students in the big ol' city

During the "Behind the Chutes Tour"

The "precautions" before the tour

Class picture at the CFR

Carlene Vanbrabant in front of the Farm On Website Launch

Animal Pettting Zoo in the Farm Fair

AgBusiness Meeting With International Guests

Final touches on a heifer before the show at Farm Fair.

Students listening to a presentation

Canadian Pride!

Where's the Beef?

The 2011 crop of purebred
Black Angus calves.

At Lakeland College the focus is on hands-on learning. Students are encouraged to become involved in the Student Managed Farm (SMF) in their area of interest. Teams range from crops, to beef, to sheep; there is something for everyone. The SMF Beef team at Lakeland College is a student group in charge of making all decisions regarding Lakeland's herd of seventy black commercial cowsand a herd of thirty purebred Black Angus cows; along with the guidance of staff advisors and the farm staff.

These cows, which are bred Charolais for the 2012 calving season, typically begin calving mid January. Calving usually takes two months, with students being involved in all aspects. Students are required to do all the calving checks and labour involved in calving. Students choose how to breed the commercial herd each year and rent bulls from local producers during the breeding season. This past fall, the SMF Beef team chose to sell the 2011 commercial calf crop in early November and purchase feeder calves to be finished and sold in April.

One of the five bred heifers that will
be shown at Canadian Western Agribition.

The SMF Beef team will be attending Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, SK November 23-26, 2011, with two pens of college-raised cattle. They will be taking a pen of five bred heifers as well as a pen of five current year heifer calves.

One of the current year heifer calves that
will be shown at Canadian Western
Agribition.

The SMF Beef team at Lakeland College allows students to be directly involved in the happenings concerning the college's herd of beef cattle. This is a wonderful learning tool, and great experience for those planning to return to their own operations. Where's the beef at Lakeland College? Just ask any member of the SMF Beef team and they will be happy to tell you.