Rabobank to support discovery and innovation on Dal's Agricultural Campus

Students enrolled in the Faculty of Agriculture now have access to a new program to better prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow thanks to a $100,000 donation from Rabobank, a premier global food and agribusiness bank.  

The Cultiv8 Sandbox Discover program provides students with opportunities to explore the entrepreneurial mindset, creative problem solving and innovation and aims to address a serious gap in the innovation pipeline through the building of foundational skills crucial to cost-efficient, sustainable, economic growth. The sponsorship is part of Rabobank’s commitment to strengthening and contributing to the food and agribusiness industry of the future.

Cultiv8 focuses on teaching students the skills to become more competitive and innovative, whether that’s within their studies, their work, or as business owners and provides students with tools which they can use for a lifetime.

“In our supportive environment, we build confidence in testing ideas through creativity, exploration and collaboration, so that our students can become more competitive in the 21st-century workforce,” explained Jason Grant, Cultiv8's manager.

“We are very fortunate to have this collaborative learning space on campus for our students,” said David Gray, dean in the Faculty of Agriculture and principal on Dalhousie's Agricultural Campus. “It is a safe space for students to grow, experiment and tap into their entrepreneurial spirit and to translate ideas into innovations. We thank Rabobank for their foresight as an investment in this program is an investment in the future of the agricultural industry.”

Supporting a sandbox culture

Cultiv8 is one of nine sandboxes across the province and is a result of the Nova Scotia Sandbox Project, a joint project hosted by Nova Scotia universities and community colleges. The project brings together students, mentors and advisors from across the province to help students develop entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. Students gain tools and practice in areas such as teamwork and collaboration, self-confidence, networking and more.  

“The skills we are offering our students will help change the culture around innovation in Nova Scotia,” Grant added.

At no cost other than their time, Cultiv8 offers students exposure to innovation through a variety of avenues. Students have access to inspirational tours to local agriculture and value-added agribusinesses, customized workshops and programs and collaborative boot camp experiences with students from across Nova Scotia. At the programming level, Cultiv8 is home to approximately 50 students and during any given year, students and public engagement has reached numbers in the thousands.

“Students are sources of limitless energy with initiative; they advocate for justice, are socially responsible and environmentally conscious,” Grant explains. “They are nimble in their ability to pivot, and they are all different. At Cultiv8 we believe that the next generation of Nova Scotia students will change this province into a collaboration hub.”

The Discover Program consists of seven modular units followed by a culmination Design Challenge. The modules focus on skills which will, through human centered design, familiarize students with competencies deemed necessary to better understand, ideate and communicate. The weekend Design Challenge provides an opportunity for the students to practice cross-disciplinary collaboration while they employ the skills obtained over the semester to develop solutions to a contemporary problem.

“As we gain more traction and develop our student culture around innovation, so too will we integrate more deeply with industry, providing greater opportunities in terms of internships and becoming more desirable and competitive with regards to employability,” Grant explains. “The creation and growth of sustainable businesses is the natural next step.”

Getting a head start on innovation

Plant Science diploma student Yannick Laplante is a Discover program alumnus and is working to start a market garden in his Acadian village of Pomquet, outside of Antigonish. A recently retired Canadian Naval officer, Yannick’s retirement project is to start his own small organic vegetable farm and sell his produce around the Antigonish area.  Attending the Faculty of Agriculture provided him the opportunity to learn about plants while developing his entrepreneurial skills. 

“I want to start a farm in Pomquet to help my community access local food,” said Yannick. “Cultiv8 gave me the necessary tools to plan many aspects of my business so I can hit the ground running.”

Kim Fobert, deputy general manager of Rabobank Canada adds: “Our multi-year partnership with Dalhousie University to support agribusiness education programs and Cultiv8 is a wonderful example of realizing Rabobank’s global mission to Grow a Better World Together and foster a more robust and sustainable food system. We are highly focused on food & agribusiness innovation at Rabobank and are proud to have served the vibrant food and ag sectors in Canada for many years. Now, we look forward to working with students and faculty at Dalhousie to forge new connections across our ecosystem.”