During the first full day of the 2016 Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference attendees had a choice of several tours. As a biker, I chose the Science & Cycling Tour. It is way better than sitting on a bus! Here’s my group in a shot after our last tour stop on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. It was a beautiful day for cycling and visiting the dairy and equine teaching centers as well as the Canadian Light Source (synchrotron).
I am an AgNerd. (Ex. My iPhone 7+ is waiting for me at home.) So the highlight of the day was the synchrotron. Think of it as the biggest, coolest gadget you could imagine. Here is a definition of a synchrotron: A synchrotron is a source of brilliant light that scientists can use to gather information about the structural and chemical properties of materials at the molecular level. Sounds pretty simple, eh? Not.
Our presentation took about an hour and a half and I think we barely scratched the surface of just what this thing does, how it does it and what the value proposition is for industries like agriculture. But speaking of agriculture, the synchrotron is used by many researchers on projects like corn disease and nutrient management.
So, enough on that for now. If you want to know more about it visit their website. And by the way, there are several of these in the U.S. and other countries around the world.
Today is professional improvement day with sessions on topics like the role of freelancers and pitching a story. This evening we have the conclusion of the conference with the CFWF Awards Banquet.
2016 Canadian Farm Writers Federation Conference Photo Album
