By Allison Barss

Grace Ashworth says agriculture has always been an important part of her life. Now a third-year International Food Business student, she has fond memories of following her mother and father – both Aggies, themselves – around their family farm at a young age, asking lots of questions. She also remembers sitting on milk buckets, playing with the kittens and calves. “Despite this,” she says, “I grew up to be oblivious to the joy agriculture brought me because it was a constant in my life.”

It wasn’t until Ashworth was 15 and moved away from home to attend high school that she started to understand how much she missed it. “I quickly realized I wanted agriculture to be a part of my life and took interest in discovering my own role in the industry,” she says.

That’s when her experiences at Dal’s Agricultural Campus led her back to her roots, helping her discover who she is on – and off – the farm.

During her second year of studies at the Agricultural Campus, Ashworth was introduced to SUSTAIN by Cultiv8, a donor-supported, student-driven initiative intended to create a culture of food-secure, climate-responsible horticulture at Dal’s Agriculture Campus. Through the program, she learned about sustainable vegetable production and research working with a vegetable garden and greenhouse, and fine-tuned entrepreneurial and innovation skills through the project’s food stand. Ultimately, the experience bridged the gap between her education and real-world, hands-on work.

A new direction

“I got to learn about primary agriculture through a new perspective, and in a team-oriented, engaging work environment,” Ashworth says, sharing that the program also piqued her interest in consumer-producer relationships. “It was so new to me, and so interesting. I know now that that’s what I want to be a part of – that’s the direction I want to take.”

Today, she has taken her studies abroad and is completing the International Food Business program at Aeres University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. As part of a dual-degree program, Ashworth will earn a Bachelor of Agriculture degree from Dal and a Bachelor of Business degree from Aeres University.

Growing from the ground up

Jason Grant, manager of Cultiv8, supports students like Ashworth from the ground up. “Cultiv8 lets students explore their interests and their potential,” he says. “It’s an incredible opportunity for them, allowing them to play and experiment in the field, and rub elbows with industry experts.”

Cultiv8 is one of Dalhousie’s five sandbox programs brought to life thanks to the generous support of donors – including others from the faculties of Computer Science, Science, Engineering, Health, Dentistry and Medicine – all of which bring together multidisciplinary teams to develop ideas and innovative solutions to help solve real-world problems.

Grant also shares that the project has become an essential service for the Agricultural Campus. “Looking at the state of the world, food security-wise, the food we harvest from the garden continues to help supply a local food bank as well as on-campus services. We’re all grateful for that.”

Planting seeds of success

After months of remote study, Grant shares that hands-on learning opportunities – like those offered through Cultiv8 – are more important than ever. “We can help students not just create projects, but actually roll them out,” he says. “These opportunities bring students, teachers, researchers, industry and the community together.”

Ashworth agrees. “The confidence I’ve developed and the growth mindset that I’ve fostered [through Cultiv8] will continue to help me as I pursue my education and career in agriculture.”

Looking ahead, Grant’s team intends to grow the Cultiv8 project with a climate battery greenhouse, a low-carbon-footprint entry into production, year-round, providing more channels to adapt and innovate. “It will capture the solar radiation from the sun and store it underground, as a thermal mass,” he says. “Our students can work with and benefit from it, all year. Through this, we are modelling solutions not just for students, but for the industry.”

It is largely thanks to the generous support of Dalhousie donors that projects like SUSTAIN by Cultiv8 are growing. “I’m grateful for the kindness of Dalhousie’s donors, whose generosity has allowed students like me to partake in these hands-on learning experiences,” says Ashworth. “I’m confident that through this continued generosity, others will be offered similar experiences, helping to build and shape successful futures.”