Alberta Beef Producers ‘Daily’ discusses improving hybrid vigour in beef herds and some of Gentec’s new genomic tools with Gentec Head of Beef Operations, Dr. John Basarab.
Author Archive: Hames (Macmillan), Kira
Summer Job Opportunity at Livestock Gentec
Knowledge and Technology Translator for Genomics Research in Alberta Beef Industry
Livestock Gentec is an Alberta Innovates Centre based at the University of Alberta focused on applied research aligned with industry-identified priorities to validate, demonstrate, and adopt transformative genomic solutions to improve the global competitiveness (economic, social, and environmental) of the Canadian beef and pork sectors. Gentec is looking for a creative communicator to join the beef industry team to help promote the adoption of genomic tools in Alberta’s beef industry. This is a full time, temporary contract with the ability to work from home or at Gentec’s offices on the University campus.
Responsibilities:
- Development of infographics and resources to translate research and engage industry audience
- Curation of social media content to promote Gentec, and Gentec’s research projects, events, resources, etc.
- Attendance of in-person agriculture conferences and meetings, including managing a booth and connecting directly with industry
- Contributing to Gentec’s monthly newsletter
- Working as part of a collaborative team
- Communicating with Gentec’s stakeholders in academia and industry
Qualifications:
- Degree in Animal Science (or 3rd/4th year of animal science degree)
- Strong communication skills, written and verbal
- Experience with social media
- Ability to work within a team and individually
- Passionate about the agriculture industry in Alberta
Salary based on experience and qualifications. Employment term May 1 to September 2 (or potentially December 31), 2022.
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to lsgentec@ualberta.ca
For any questions, please contact Gentec’s office at 780 248-1740 or lsgentec@ualberta.ca
The Bovine Podcast Highlights “Arm-Chair Rancher”
Alberta Beef Producers new podcast, “The Bovine”, interviewed Gentec’s Kira Hames (Macmillan) on the impact the “Arm-Chair Rancher” will have on the beef industry in their inaugural episode.
Listen to the podcast here.
“Arm-Chair Rancher” Featured on UAlberta’s Folio
The Armchair Rancher app will help producers create scenarios to predict risk and potentially cut losses in their operations. Based on historical data, the app will identify current and predict future trends, and act as an assistant.
Read the full article here.
Gentec CEO Graham Plastow is interviewed by Canadian Cattlemen on the “Arm-Chair Rancher”
The Arm-Chair Rancher will capture both industry and on-farm data to help producers make decisions for their operation. The project is looking to collaborate with industry partners to collate data into an industry database, as well as work with current programs that producers are using to record on-farm performance data.
Read the full article here.
UAlberta’s Dr. David Wishart talks with the Alberta Farmer Express about the “Arm-Chair Rancher”
The Arm-Chair Rancher is an app that will harness a huge database of beef industry data (weather, soil condition, commodity prices, genomics, etc.) and use machine learning to generate guiding scenarios, recommendations and predictions to improve productivity on beef farms. Dr. Wishart is a professor in computing sciences and biological sciences at the University of Alberta and is co-developing the app with Livestock Gentec.
Read the full article here.
Alberta Innovates discusses the “Arm-Chair Rancher” with Fairview Post
The Smart Agriculture and Food Digitization and Automation Challenge was launched by Alberta Innovated to funds projects that are developing smart technologies to increase productivity on farms. The Arm-Chair Rancher is one of 8 projects that were successful.
Read the full article here.
Frontline Farming Canada talks beef genomics with Gentec’s John Basarab
Diane Finstad of Frontline Farming Canada met with Dr. John Basarab (Gentec’s Head of Beef Operations) to discuss hybrid vigour and its potential to improve the health and sustainability of Alberta’s beef herds.
The interview is airing on RFD-TV, available through Shaw’s satellite service, Telus Optik and rural cable companies. You can tune in on Fridays ats 8:00 pm. Sunday 8 am, Mondays 5:30 am and Tuesdays 8:30 pm throughout the month of May. The interview will also be airing on the Cowboy Channel Tuesday’s at 3:30 pm.