The University of British Columbia is committed to supporting high quality food production systems in the province. A major contribution has been development of its internationally recognized Dairy Education and Research Centre in Agassiz. The Centre, with its modern research facilities and herd of 500 animals, is one of the largest of its kind.
Research programs at the Centre are designed to address topics in animal welfare and behaviour, animal reproduction, and the recovery of nutrients from animal manure. These programs attract students and leading scientists from other UBC programs such as Food Science, Civil Engineering and Medicine, and from universities across Canada and beyond. Students from more than 35 countries have studied at the Centre. Much of the Centre’s published basic research has led to development of new technologies and many of the science-based recommendations presented in Canada’s Recommended Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle.
The Centre’s teaching and research facilities are designed for training students ranging from high school students gaining work experience or enrolled in the BC Dairy Association’s apprenticeship program to university students performing research for their Master’s or doctoral degrees. Currently the Dairy Centre is planning development of on-site student housing to reduce time spent commuting from Vancouver and to strengthen the Centre’s rich international college-like atmosphere. Visitors are welcome: www.landfood.ubc.ca/dairycentre
