Lethbridge College’s agricultural programming and collaborative industry partnerships were hot topics at this week’s Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters Inc. convention in Lethbridge.
More than 150 people from across North America attended the two-day convention at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre, where representatives from the college had the opportunity to speak about Lethbridge College’s 50 years of providing agricultural education in southern Alberta as well as to celebrate the recent gift of $100,000 from Taylor Harvesting Ltd., a family owned and operated farming and custom harvesting business.
The gift, which was used to establish the Taylor Family Heavy Equipment Bay in the college’s new trades and technologies facility, was made by a family with many connections to the college.
“My son, Darren (Agriculture ’98, with honours), and I are both alumni of the college and agree that Lethbridge College provides hands-on training, teaches business skills and instills a strong work ethic upon its students,” Ray Taylor (Vocational Agriculture ’66), founder of Taylor Harvesting Ltd, said earlier this fall. “The college provided us with the skill set we needed to succeed in our industry of choice and it’s our turn to give something back.”
The Taylor Family Heavy Equipment Bay resides in the recently-opened first phase of the trades and technologies facility. The building includes programs within the Crooks School of Transportation, including the Automotive Service Technician, Parts Technician, and Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician programs.
Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician training is just one of many opportunities students have to learn about different aspects of a career in agriculture. The college also offers training in animal science, plant science, business risk management, irrigation, data driven productivity and more.
Ray Taylor was one of the college’s earliest graduates of what was then known as Vocational Agriculture at Lethbridge College, finishing his studies in 1966. In 1980, he and his wife Faye started Taylor Harvesting Ltd. with three Massey Ferguson combines, a great deal of hard work and even more dedication. Over the years, the Taylors, along with their children Darren and Tara, grew the company to a 12 combine operation at its peak farming 32,000 acres of owned and rented land on and off the Blood Reserve.
Darren and his wife, Kimberly Taylor, have taken over the business and now run Darren Taylor Harvesting, along with DRT Farms. They were recently announced as the 2015 BMO Farm Family of the Year representing Lethbridge County. Their harvesting company now focuses specifically on southern Alberta, while DRT Farms is involved in grain and oilseed production on 3,000 acres in southern Alberta.
Ray and Darren Taylor aren’t the only ones in the family with connections to the college – in fact, there are now three generations of Taylors who will have studied at Lethbridge College. Ray’s grandson, Braden, begins in the college’s Heavy Equipment Apprenticeship program later this month. Braden is the son of Tara, Ray and Faye’s daughter, and was among the first students to study in the new facility this fall.
For more information on the new trades and technologies facility and the Possibilities are Endless campaign, visit the Lethbridge College website.