A team from EMILI toured Assiniboine Community College (ACC) while they were in Brandon for Manitoba Ag Days, getting a first-hand look at the Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment where students receive hands-on training to prepare for careers in digital agriculture.
Touring ACC’s plant growth chamber and protein pantry, EMILI Managing Director Jacqueline Keena, Innovation Farms Manager Leanne Koroscil, and Director, Agri-Food Data Dan Lussier received a behind-the-scenes look at ACC’s collaborative, hands-on learning environment.
Upcoming programs such as Palette Skills’ Digital Agriculture Fundamentals course which will be offered at ACC over eight weeks starting in February, and ACC’s Digital Agriculture Technology advanced diploma which begins in September 2025, provide Manitobans with vital skills necessary to support the Canadian agricultural industry and food production markets.

Left: Faculty at Assiniboine Community College gave EMILI staff a tour of their facility. Right: Prairie crops are grown in a plant growth chamber. Students follow the crops from seedlings through to full maturity.
The tour was led by Dean of ACC’s School of Agriculture Environment Nicole Gaudette, Academic Chair Chris Budiwski, Agriculture Instructor Baljeet Singh, Applied Research Coordinator Jane De Pauw, and Ag Extension Coordinator Angela Pearen.

The EMILI team toured Assiniboine Community College’s Protein Pantry, featuring products made by students in the meat processing program.
EMILI and ACC share a common vision of growing Manitoba’s digital agriculture sector through innovation and education. EMILI looks forward to continued collaboration with ACC, including opportunities to welcome students to events and collaborate on projects at Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert.
Learn more about ACC’s Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment.