Faculty of Agricultural andEnvironmental Sciences

AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

SUMMER2014

Faculté desSciences de l’agricultureet de l’environnement

Taking the Leadin Northern Researchalso in this issueLaunch of the Macdonald Farm Outreach Project

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Macdonald

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

FOCUS ON MACDONALD

Dear Alumni and Friends of Macdonald,

I write this column having just witnessed the Graduating Classes of 2014 crossing the Convocation Platform to receive their degrees. It was wonderful to see the excitement on their faces, as well as on those of their families and well-wishers. As I listened to the messages of our two award-winning honorary doctorate recipients, Drs. Randall Prather and Gurdev Khush, I also thought about our freshly minted graduates and the amazing opportunities waiting for them out there.

I was equally pleased to see the fruit of some our recent initiatives at Convocation, viz, the graduates of the new concurrent BSc(FSc)/BSc(NutrSc), as well as those who obtained the MSc in Food Safety. These programs were specifically designed to produce graduates, with experience in the food and nutrition sectors, who could jump immediately into higher level positions in the private and public sectors. The demand for our graduates is enormous, and I know that they will rise to the challenge, wherever they go.

This year’s Convocation was particularly special because we held two ceremonies on the same day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This is due to the growth in enrolment, as it was our largest graduating class ever at Macdonald. The total number of undergraduates and graduate students receiving degrees on June 2 was 288 and 84, respectively.

I thank you for your many contributions to Macdonald, and I wish you a safe and relaxed summer.

Chers anciens étudiants et amis du campus Macdonald,

J’écris ces lignes tout juste après avoir vu les classes de finissants de 2014 défiler sur la plateforme de convocation pour recevoir leurs diplômes. C’était merveilleux de voir l’enthousiasme sur leurs visages et sur ceux de leurs proches. En écoutant le discours de nos deux professeurs primés et récipiendaires de doctorats honorifiques, Randall Prather et Gurdev Khush, je pensais à nos étudiants fraîchement diplômés et à toutes les perspectives d’avenir formidables qui les attendent.

J’ai aussi été ravi de voir le fruit de quelques-unes de nos récentes initiatives, entre autres les diplômés du nouveau programme intégré de baccalauréat en nutrition et en sciences de l’alimentation ainsi que nos finissants de la maîtrise en sécurité alimentaire. Ces programmes ont été spécialement conçus pour former des diplômés expérimentés en alimentation et en nutrition qui soient aptes à accéder directement à des postes de niveau supérieur dans les secteurs public et privé. Nos diplômés sont énormément en demande et je suis confiant qu’ils sauront relever le défi quelle que soit leur destination.

La remise des diplômes était particulièrement spéciale cette année puisque nous avons eu droit à deux cérémonies le même jour, soit une le matin et l’autre l’après-midi en raison du nombre grandissant d’inscriptions. Il s’agissait de la plus importante cohorte du campus Macdonald à ce jour avec un total de 288 étudiants de premier cycle et de 84 étudiants de deuxième cycle s’étant vu remettre un diplôme le 2 Juin.

Je tiens à vous remercier pour vos nombreuses contributions au profit du campus Macdonald et vous souhaite de passer un été de détente et de bien-être.

SUMMER 2014

COVER PHOTO:

Dempster, Yukon. Photo taken by Tony Pretzslaw.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the Dean ..................................

News Bytes .....................................................

Taking the Lead...............................................

The Mac Library in the Digital Age ..................

In and Around the Faculty ...............................

The Mac Farm Outreach Project .......................

EDITOR: Helen Cohen Rimmer

CONTRIBUTORS: Helen Cohen Rimmer,

Kathy MacLean, Caroline Begg, Anna Duff, Ron Henry

PHOTOS: Thank you to all who provided photos or took

photos for this issue

PROOFREADER: Jane Jackel

Dean Chandra A. Madramootoo

CHANDRA A. MADRAMOOTOODean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

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2 FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

Looking for Life on Mars

They say that practice makes perfect and, in Lyle Whyte’s case, practice has made him the perfect candidate to join the elite team of scientists picked by the European Space Agency (ESA) to work on the ExoMars 2018 project.

Whyte, a professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, has worked in the extreme cold of the high Arctic for over 14 years, conducting research on polar microbial ecology and biodiversity, low-temperature biodegradation and bioremediation, and cold-adapted microorganisms.

“Knowing the cold temperature limits of Earth microbial life, and the adaptations used by these organisms in regions where liquid water is scarce or seasonal, will allow us to identify areas that are most likely to contain detectable levels of life,” says Whyte.

As part of the ExoMars Landing Site Selection Working Group, Whyte will be responsible for creating a short list of three or four possible landing sites. These will be used to direct research over the next few years, as the sites are studied intensively using existing data and with new data from the spacecraft currently in orbit around Mars.

Building Capacity for Sustainable Livelihoods and Health in Ghana

A team led by Grace Marquis, Canada Research Chair in Social and Environmental Aspects of Nutrition and professor in the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, will receive a grant of close to $3.5 million for an innovative five-year Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (FATD) project aimed at improving the health and household food security of infants and children in southeastern Ghana’s Upper Manya Krobo district.

In collaboration with colleague Dr. Anna Lartey of the University of Ghana, World Vision and local resource institutions, the project, which involves 3,000 households in the area, is designed to foster collaboration among workers in the diverse sectors (health, agriculture, education, finance) in the region in order to develop district-level capacity in nutrition and to examine intervention packages where integrated activities (for example, agricultural and health) are combined to promote food security and health. The project will help families improve their diet through the addition of animal-based foods, expand the diversity of foods grown, and gain income through the sale of eggs. The families, in turn, will pass on chickens to the next group of families to receive the intervention.

Marquis and Lartey have collaborated on research projects for many years, and in 2010 established the University of Ghana Nutrition Research and Training Centre in Asesewa, which will serve as the project’s headquarters.

NEWS BYTES

PHOTO COURTESY LYLE WHYTE

PHOTO OWEN EGAN

3FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

TAKING THE LEAD IN NORTHERN RESEARCHMENER LE PAS EN MATIÈRE DE RECHERCHE NORDIQUE

TAKING THE LEAD

Canada’s North has always conjured visions of great white expanses, majestic animals and hardy inhabitants. In reality the great white expanses are slowly melting, the majestic animals are struggling for survival as their habitats slowly disappear, and a new report released on March 27, 2014 by the Council of Canadian Academies found that the Inuit, those hardy inhabitants, are the most food insecure people in the developed world. In keeping with the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ mandate, researchers are creating sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Canada’s North—natural resource protection, food security and health.

Capacity building for environmental protection

For the most part universities are producing graduates with excellent book smarts but a limited understanding of the complexity of real-world environmental processes, which handicaps their ability to apply their knowledge to the diverse economic, political and social factors shaping natural resource use and environmental stewardship.

Murray Humphries, professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and lead researcher on a $1.6-million grant from NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program, considers comprehensive training the foundation for sending a “market-ready” generation of natural resource consultants, managers, land use planners and policy makers into the workforce.

“As industrial activity expands in Canada’s northern regions, whether it is mineral exploration and mine development in

Le Nord du Canada a toujours évoqué des visions de vastes étendues blanches, d’animaux majestueux et d’habitants robustes En réalité, ces grandes étendues blanches fondent tout doucement et les animaux majestueux se battent pour leur survie au rythme de la disparition progressive de leurs habitats. Un nouveau rapport publié par le Conseil des académies canadiennes le 27 mars 2014 a révélé que les Inuits, ces populations robustes, sont en fait les plus touchées par l’insécurité alimentaire dans le monde développé. Dans le cadre du mandat de la Faculté des sciences de l’agriculture et de l’environnement, nos chercheurs s’investissement à créer des solutions durables à certains des problèmes les plus criants liés à la conservation des ressources naturelles, à la sécurité alimentaire et à la santé du Nord canadien.

Édifier notre capacité de protéger l’environnement

Essentiellement, les universités forment des diplômés aux excellentes connaissances théoriques mais dont la compréhension des processus environnementaux sur le terrain est plus limitée. Cela n’est pas sans nuire à leur capacité de mettre leur bagage en pratique dans les sphères économique, politique et sociale qui façonnent notre utilisation des ressources naturelles et la protection de l’environnement.

Murray Humphries, professeur au sein du service des sciences des ressources naturelles et chercheur en chef d’un projet de 1,6 millions de dollars subventionné par le Programme de nouveauté, de collaboration et d’expérience en recherche (FONCER) du CRSNG, estime qu’une formation exhaustive est fondamentale si l’on veut former une génération de professionnels qui soit prête à s’attaquer aux enjeux en qualité de conseillers en ressources naturelles, de gestionnaires, de planificateurs d’aménagement des territoires ou de formulateurs de politiques.

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Nunavut or commercial forestry in northern Alberta, we need to be prepared to develop these resources in a way that is environmentally sound and sustainable,” says Humphries. “Northern development is dictated by a triangle, with industry, government and Aboriginal organizations situated in three corners, and sustainable solutions found in the middle. Time well spent in each of the corners will equip our trainees with the knowledge and relationships required for career-long contributions to the productive middle ground.”

With nodes at McGill and the University of Alberta, CREATE graduates will have their core training and thesis work in environmental sciences (including conservation, wildlife management, aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, forestry, biodiversity, environmental contaminants) and will engage in interdisciplinary science linking mathematics, physical sciences, computer science, economics, business, law, health sciences and cultural studies through ongoing collaborative research. The program will focus on northern regions characterized by a gradient of industrial intensity, from the oil sands and commercial forests of northern Alberta to early-phase mineral exploration and mine development in Nunavut.

Recruiting Indigenous students and northern residents into the program is a priority, as research and natural resource policy will be shaped by local concerns and priorities. Humphries’ close ties to the North, both through his research in sustainable northern development and as Director of the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE), make him well positioned to respond to local concerns. “We will follow the lead of the communities, so that everyone benefits,” says Humphries.

Access to fresh foods

Access to fresh food is a major problem in northern regions, where prices can be up to 200% higher than in the south. This is mainly due to the food distribution system, as a large percentage of products are brought in by truck or plane, resulting in increased fuel and storage costs. Producing food in situ would substantially decrease dependency on imported goods and likely be more affordable, of higher quality and have a longer shelf life, which in turn would contribute to a healthier diet.

Bioresource engineer Mark Lefsrud and his team have risen to the challenge and have developed a solution for growing local food in the North—a hybrid greenhouse/growth-chamber system that is adapted to northern conditions.

This innovative unit, called the Canadian Integrated Northern Greenhouse (CING) (patent pending), behaves as a greenhouse through the growing season, but transforms into a growth chamber during the cold, dark months, benefiting from both the energy of the sun during the warm season, and increased insulation when supplemental energy is required to sustain crop production during the winter. The hybrid system is

FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

« Comme l’activité industrielle prend de l’ampleur dans les régions nordiques du Canada, que ce soit sous forme d’exploration minière ou de développement de mines au Nunavut, ou encore de foresterie commerciale au nord de l’Alberta, nous devons être prêts à développer ces ressources d’une manière qui soit écologiquement viable et durable », affirme le professeur Humphries. « Le développement du Nord est dicté par un triangle délimité par l’industrie, le gouvernement et les organisations autochtones aux trois extrémités avec les solutions durables se trouvant au centre. Prendre le temps qu’il faut pour chacune de ces extrémités armera nos stagiaires de connaissances et de corrélations qui leur permettront, toute leur carrière durant, de contribuer positivement au terrain d’entente se trouvant au centre. »

Disposant de centres satellites à l’Université McGill et à l’Université de l’Alberta, les diplômés du programme FONCER bénéficieront d’une formation de base et prépareront leur thèse en sciences de l’environnement (conservation, gestion de la faune, écologie aquatique, écologie terrestre, foresterie, biodiversité, contaminants environnementaux) tout en touchant les sciences interdisciplinaires (mathématiques, sciences physiques, informatique, économie, affaires, droit, sciences de la santé et études culturelles) par le biais de la recherche collaborative. Ce programme mettra l’accent sur les régions nordiques selon leur niveau d’intensité industrielle, allant des sables bitumineux et des forêts commerciales du nord de l’Alberta aux projets d’exploration et de développement de mines en phase préliminaire du Nunavut.

Le recrutement d’étudiants autochtones et de résidents du Nord au sein du programme est une priorité puisque la recherche et les politiques régissant les ressources passeront à l’avant-plan des préoccupations et des priorités locales. Les liens étroits qu’entretient le professeur Humphries avec les populations nordiques, aussi bien grâce à ses recherches en développement durable que son rôle de directeur du Centre d’études sur la nutrition et l’environnement des peuples autochtones (CINE), l’ont bien positionné pour répondre aux préoccupations locales. « Nous allons nous laisser guider par les collectivités afin que toutes puissent bénéficier de nos travaux, » explique-t-il.

Accès aux aliments frais

L’accès aux aliments frais est un fléau dans les régions nordiques où les prix peuvent être majorés jusqu’à 200 % par rapport aux régions plus au sud. Le problème découle majoritairement du système de distribution qui prévoit le transport d’une grande partie des denrées par camion ou par avion, entraînant une augmentation des coûts de carburant et de stockage. La production d’aliments in situ pourrait rendre les populations considérablement moins dépendantes des importations. Les marchandises deviendraient sûrement plus abordables, seraient de meilleure qualité avec une durée de vie prolongée, ce qui contribuerait à améliorer l’alimentation des populations nordiques.

L’ingénieur en bioressources Mark Lefsrud et son équipe ont relevé ce défi en concevant une solution permettant la culture locale d’aliments à l’aide d’un système hybride d’incubation et de serre adapté aux conditions nordiques.

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Cet appareil innovant, appelé CING (serre canadienne nordique intégrée - brevet en instance), se comporte comme une serre en saison de croissance et se transforme en incubateur pendant les mois plus froids et sombres. Ce système hybride bénéficie de l’énergie du soleil pendant la saison chaude et d’une meilleure isolation lorsque plus d’énergie est nécessaire au soutien de la production agricole en période hivernale. Le tout est logé dans un conteneur modifié, aisément transportable Nord. Les principes de l’agriculture verticale maximisent l’espace disponible grâce à des systèmes hydroponiques motorisés qui suivent la trajectoire du soleil pendant la journée et qui sont munis de dispositifs à DEL offrant un éclairage irradiant de photosynthèse active.

Cette installation spécialisée pourrait bien être le système fermé de production alimentaire le plus productif au plan agricole et le plus efficace au plan énergétique au monde. Les collectivités autochtones et minières du nord pourront ainsi bénéficier d’aliments produits localement en toute saison.

Améliorer la santé et la nutrition dans le Nord du Canada

Les collectivités du Nord ont vu leur mode de vie changer de manière drastique au fil des ans. Le bouleversement des habitudes alimentaires et des activités physiques des autochtones engendré par un recours accru aux aliments du Sud et une moins grande disponibilité des aliments traditionnels a considérablement nuit à leur santé. L’Enquête sur la santé des Inuits menée en 2007-2008 dans 36 collectivités du Nord dans le cadre de l’Année polaire internationale a révélé que 35 % de la population adulte était obèse et que ce chiffre atteignait 50,8 % chez les enfants âgés de 3 à 5 ans. La hausse des cas d’obésité est source de problèmes de santé de plus en plus graves comme le diabète, l’hypertension et les maladies cardiovasculaires. Au cours de la dernière décennie, le diabète de type II chez les plus de 20 ans a augmenté de 150 % dans les communautés cries du nord du Québec où près de 20 % de la population en souffre. À ces problèmes s’ajoute la pénurie de professionnels en soins de santé. Les communautés autochtones distantes sont généralement confrontées à un taux de roulement élevé du personnel et n’ont pas non plus accès à des services de diététique, plus particulièrement à des professionnels en diététique familiarisés avec les aliments traditionnels des populations nordiques.

En œuvrant en collaboration avec les conseils autochtones de la Santé, le programme de stages de l’École de diététique et de nutrition humaine espère placer des étudiants en diététique dans des stages de six semaines où ils seront en mesure d’alléger la surcharge du système de santé dans les communautés autochtones du Nord. Nos étudiants contribueront ainsi à l’amélioration des services de soins de santé tout en acquérant une expérience de première main. Leur travail en communautés isolées les aidera à mieux saisir les problèmes de santé et de nutrition uniques des autochtones mais leur apprendra aussi à mettre en pratique ou adapter leurs connaissances théoriques et cliniques dans la vie réelle.

« Non seulement ce programme répondra-t-il à un besoin exprimé par les peuples autochtones pour de la recherche participative et de l’éducation en lien avec leurs préoccupations touchant les systèmes alimentaires traditionnels et ...

housed in a modified shipping container which can be readily transported north. Vertical farming principles maximize the use of available space, using motorized hydroponic systems that track the sun through the day, with LED arrays providing photosynthetically active radiant lighting.

This special agricultural facility has the potential to be the world’s most volume- and energy-efficient enclosed food production system, and will enable Indigenous and mining communities in the North to benefit from locally produced food year-round.

Improving health and nutrition in Canada’s North

Northern communities have experienced dramatic lifestyle changes over the years. Changes in the diet and physical activity of Indigenous peoples, due to an increased reliance on foods shipped from the south and less availability of traditional foods, have significantly affected their health. The International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey, conducted in 2007-2008 in 36 northern communities, showed that 35% of the adult population was obese, while children aged 3 to 5 years had an obesity rate of 50.8%. These high obesity rates are leading to increasingly serious health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In the last decade, Cree communities in northern Quebec have experienced a 150% increase in the number of people over 20 with type II diabetes where almost 20% of the population suffers from this condition. Compounding these health problems is the limited number of practitioners providing health care services. Remote native communities generally face a high turnover of health care staff and lack access to dietitians, especially those familiar with traditional foods and northern peoples.

Working in cooperation with native Boards of Health, the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition’s Stage Program hopes to place dietetics students in six-week internships where they will be able to assist the overburdened system in northern native communities through improved health care service while at the same time gaining first-hand experience in working in isolated communities, understanding the unique health and nutrition problems of native people, and learning how to apply or adapt their academic and clinical knowledge to real-life problems.

“Not only will this program respond to a need expressed by Aboriginal peoples for participatory research and education to address their concerns about traditional food systems and the impacts of changing lifestyles and health,” says Dr. Maureen Rose, the School’s Clinical Coordinator for Professional Practice in Dietetics, “it also increases the potential for students to work in the North post-graduation and identifies students in local communities who might like to pursue a dietetics program.”

6 FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

All of this effort in education for the improvement of rural conditions is something more than crops and cattle and produce and profits. It is part of a mission to qualify the people to live for and by high ideals. We are not of yesterday nor of the last 1000 years only. Let us sometimes think back of the struggle and privation, of the courage and fear, of the anguish and the triumphs, of the faith, hope and love, of those who come to “Mastery for Service”, and who by mastery, careless of personal ease, have brought the otherwise impossible to pass. It is for us to pass on the quality of life and its opportunities, not only unimpaired but improved, strengthened and enriched by our tenure as trustees shall be ready for their field, their harvest and their seed.

Author unknown, Macdonald College Magazine, Vol. 22, No 1 – 1931.

History buffs and genealogists around the world with a particular interest in Macdonald College will soon have online access to some of our cherished historical records.

Thanks to the efforts of Natalie Waters, Head Librarian, Macdonald Campus Library and Learning Centre, a suite of Macdonald College publications will be digitized this summer. Says Waters, “Up until now the publications in the collection have been spread between the University’s two campuses, with the primary collection residing at Macdonald. The impetus for the project is based on regular requests for access to our historical records, including scholarly works, extracurricular pursuits, outreach activities and genealogical information.”

Materials slated for digitization include the Macdonald College Magazine (1910-1932), the Macdonald College Annual (1932-1936), Failt-Ye Times (1935-1962), the Dram (1968-1972) and the Harvest (1973-1990). These records provide a unique perspective on the challenges facing many generations of Macdonald students – including wartime stories from the front lines and the early history of the School of Agriculture, the School of Household Science and the School for Teachers

(currently the University’s Faculty of Education).

The Macdonald College Journal (1940-1968), the long-time voice of Macdonald in the alumni and agricultural community, will also be digitized.

On a related project, and in preparation for the University’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of World War I, the two Macdonald Books of Remembrance (1914-1918 and 1939-1945), currently housed in the rare book section of the University Archives, will be available by the end of the summer on the McGill Remembers site, www.archives.mcgill.ca/public/exhibits/mcgillremembers/. Together, the books contain the names of over 800 members of the Macdonald community who served in the two World Wars.

As we wait for this new material to come online, perhaps we can take a rainy afternoon or two to browse through an online Clan Macdonald (1933-1960) on yearbooks.mcgill.ca or reread Snell’s History of Macdonald College or Neilson’s Macdonald College of McGill University 1907-1988, A Profile of a Campus, copies of which are available at the Macdonald Bookstore).

THE MAC LIBRARY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

les impacts des changements du mode de vie et de l’état de santé des autochtones », souligne Maureen Rose, coordonnatrice clinique de l’École pour la pratique professionnelle en diététique, « il accroît également les perspectives d’emploi des étudiants dans le Nord et repère des étudiants potentiels dans les collectivités locales qui pourraient être intéressés à suivre un programme d’études en diététique. »

...continuation de la page 6

Mark your calendars forTHE GATHERING OF THE CLAN

Saturday September 6, 2014Anderson Links Golf and Country Club, Ottawa, Ontario

Golf is free; dinner $35/person

Registration information will be sent out shortly.More info: Anna Duff anna.duff@mcgill.ca

www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/alumni/alumevents

7FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

Do you realize that you are part of the reason that Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year?

From its origins in College residences, the MCSS and its associated committees assumed more and more responsibility in shaping and supervising student life. Initially without a permanent base, the MCSS first moved to #7 Maple, and, in 1968, to its current home in the Centennial Centre.

The MCSS has been involved in all campus activities including both social and academic affairs,and club coordination; it has been doing whatever possible to influence University policies in ways that may best serve the student body. As such, the MCSS is represented on dozens of McGill University committees and working groups.

During Homecoming celebrations, we will be receiving alumni, students and friends of MCSS in the Centennial Centre at the Macdonald Campus to celebrate 100 years of success. This signature event will be hosted jointly by the Macdonald Homecoming Committee and the current MCSS council.

We are hoping that past presidents and executive members will share their story of being a part of MCSS and how that commitment to the student society shaped their life. You can help us by spreading the word, because it would be amazing to have as many past execs and council members participate.

Stay in touch by liking our Macdonald Campus of McGill University page on Facebook. Consider reaching out to your fellow executive members and encouraging them to attend.

Keep an eye out for more information and invitations which will be sent out in the summer and early fall, and plan to join us for the festivities on October 18th 2014 at 8:30pm in the Ceilidh Pub in the Centennial Centre.

To get involved or to share your MCSS story, contact Anna Duff at anna.duff@mcgill.ca.

by Ariane Gauthier, BSc(FSc)’11

Ever since finishing my BSc in food chemistry three years ago, I jump at any chance to come back to Macdonald Campus or give back to the community that offered me some of the best years of my life. So when I was contacted about the round-table event organized by CAPS and Macdonald Development and Alumni Relations, I immediately said yes! I loved the idea of holding industry-specific evenings.

In my case there was quite a turnout: five alumni for at least 75 students from diverse majors and class years. The questions I received varied from how to find a job/network to which classes I liked the most from my degree or even if there was something I regretted not experiencing like an internship.

Once the alumni finished going around the five tables, we got the chance to catch up with each other and also have more informal discussions with the students. I got the feeling they really appreciated our visit.

Since the round table, many of the students have added me on LinkedIn (some just hours after the event!) and a couple have even messaged me asking for advice. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to help mentor future food scientists and am certain the round-table discussions for the other fields were as successful. Definitely something to repeat next year!

Ariane Gauthier, BSc(FSc’11); Anna Duff, Macdonald Development and Alumni Relations) (second from left); and Lorna MacEachern, Macdonald CAPS (far right).

Join us in celebrating 100 years

Young alumni share experience

IN AND AROUND THE FACULTY

8 FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

The Mac Cookbook, 1st edition 2014, captures the voice of Mac: local, healthy, sustainable. It showcases the diverse yet interconnected community that is Mac Campus. The cookbook is the result of creative community collaboration between the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition students, Out-of-the-Garden alternative café (OGP), Macdonald Student Ecological Garden (MSEG) and Plant Science. This bilingual cookbook is a fantastic resource for incoming students from all backgrounds and interests.

The climate for writing a cookbook was right thanks to the leadership of students from OGP and MSEG fostering the farm-to-table dynamic and love for fresh, delicious food. Current students want to share what they have learned living and studying at Mac with future students in hopes that they will enrich their campus experience, share their love and knowledge of food, and encourage getting involved earlier in their studies by joining campus groups.

The book includes relevant and practical information for students: how to navigate the meat and fish aisle, money-saving tips, seasonality of produce, knife skills and others.

The cookbook also highlights the many clubs related to food and agriculture that students can get involved with, where to find food on and off campus, information regarding nutrition and sustainable food practices. The French translations and French recipes allow students to learn basic food-related terminology (for example, produce names, cuts of meat, cooking utensils, cooking measurements, etc.) in a more relevant medium. The book will be available for purchase at the beginning of September 2014.

Mac Cookbook coordinating team Mary Hendrickson-Nelson, Caroline Begg, Patrick Mooney, Monica Bradshaw and Pierre Tulk.

Students help promote better eating

At their May Awards Banquet, the McGill Alumni Association honoured four most deserving Mac alumni.

Chandra Madramootoo was awarded the David Johnston Award for Leadership in Philanthropy, presented to a McGill faculty or staff member for exemplary work on behalf of the McGill Annual Fund.

The Distinguished Service Award was presented to alumni Marc Bieler, DipAgr’58, BA’64, and Marie Bieler, BSc(Agr)’80. This award recognizes a graduate who has rendered outstanding service to the Alumni Association and/or to the University.

The Gretta Chambers Student Leadership Award, presented to a student who has demonstrated leadership qualities while contributing to the advancement of alumni or University activities in a volunteer capacity, was awarded to Bernice Ting, BSc(FSc)’14.

Mac Alumni honoured by

McGill Alumni Association

Top: Chandra Madramootoo and McGill Chancellor Arnold Steinberg;Centre: Marc and Marie Bieler (centre) with

Tina Hobday, BA’88, BCL’93, LLB’93, outgoing MAA president, and Alan Desnoyers, BCom’85, incoming MAA president;

Bottom: Bernice Ting (centre) with Alan Desnoyers and Sally McDougall, BSc’68, DipEd’69, DLitt’13

PHOTOS PATRICK MORIN

9FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

Macdonald Campus Farm Outreach ProgramMacdonald Launches Rejuvenation Campaign

Ask a young person today: “Where does your food come from?” and more often than not, they will name a retail grocery chain, restaurant, or mega producer. With rapid urbanization, it is apparent that society has become increasingly disconnected from food, and yet the connection has never been more important. With the global population continuing to rise, tackling issues like food safety, food security, water resource management and others may well come down to a greater appreciation and understanding of our food systems. Here at Macdonald Campus, we have been asking ourselves: How do we remedy this disconnect and ensure children know about the vital role that farms and agriculture play in our lives?

The Macdonald Campus Farm is leading efforts to provide the Montreal community with greater knowledge and awareness about where our food comes from. The Farm launched an outreach program in the spring of 2008 to provide guided educational tours that sensitize schoolchildren about good agricultural practices and where their food originates. With growing demand for educational tours that necessitate improved facilities, a major investment is required to meet the demands of the community.

The new Macdonald Campus Interpretive Centre would provide a modern venue for visitors, with interactive displays, an introductory video, washroom facilities, eating area and a Welcome Centre. In addition to breathing new life into an

existing heritage building and providing a new venue space, the facilities would help to once again place Macdonald at the forefront of agriculture education and service to the community.

In order to provide a complete learning experience about agriculture and food, educational tours would include the dairy barn, the new calf barn and the mini-farm. These tours are an invaluable tool to reconnect urban children and adults to the source of their food, foster a better understanding of what is involved in food production, and reinforce the fact that what we eat is produced by farmers, who are also our neighbours and a foundation of our culture.

Macdonald Campus and McGill University share a proud tradition when it comes to farming and agriculture, and supporting the Macdonald Campus Farm Outreach Program is an exceptional opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of the critical importance agriculture plays in our lives, and in so doing, a greater appreciation of the food that sustains us.

We are inviting friends and alumni to support the education of our young people and give generously to build on the legacy of the Farm for generations to come.

10 FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

DONATION FORM / FORMULAIRE DE DONMACDONALD CAMPUS FARM OUTREACH PROGRAM / PROGRAMME DE SENSIBILISATION DE LA FERME MACDONALD

NAME / NOM : _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS / ADRESSE : _________________________________________________________________________________________________

TEL/ TÉL : ______________________________ EMAIL / COURRIEL : _________________________________________________________

Please accept my donation to the Macdonald Campus Farm Outreach Program in the amount of $ __________

Veuillez accepter mon don au Programme de sensibilisation de la ferme Macdonald au montant de __________ $ q I have enclosed a cheque payable to McGill University (Please mark allocation code #05385 on the cheque) qCAD $ qUSD $q If you are making a gift of securities, please contact: McGill’s Office of Investments at 514-398-6040 or Toll-free 888-330-6040q Please charge my gift to my credit card qVisa qMasterCard qAmex

________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Card Number Exp. Name on Card

Mail to: Development Office, Laird Hall Room 199B, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9

À la ferme du campus Macdonald, tout est mis en œuvre pour sensibiliser les Montréalais et la population à l’origine des aliments et à leur production. Grâce au programme de sensibilisation lancé au printemps 2008, des visites guidées familiarisent des écoliers avec de saines pratiques agricoles et le système de production alimentaire. La grande popularité des visites nécessite de meilleures installations et des expositions de plus grande qualité.

Le nouveau Centre d’interprétation de la ferme Macdonald serait un complexe moderne et proposerait aux visiteurs vidéo de présentation, expositions interactives, installations sanitaires et aire de repas. Outre de revitaliser un bâtiment patrimonial existant et de servir de nouveau lieu de diffusion, les installations contribueraient à replacer Macdonald à l’avant-garde de l’éducation en agriculture et du service à la collectivité.

Pour une expérience instructive complète sur l’agriculture et les aliments, les visiteurs découvriraient l’étable à vaches laitières, l’étable à veaux et la mini-ferme. Les visites rapprochent de la source de leurs aliments les enfants et les adultes des villes et leur permettent de saisir les rudiments de la production vivrière et ses producteurs – les agriculteurs qui sont nos voisins et l’assise de notre héritage et de notre culture.

Le Collège Macdonald est fier de sa tradition en matière d’agriculture, d’aliments, de nutrition et d’environnement.

Soutenir le Centre d’interprétation de la ferme Macdonald, c’est promouvoir sa notoriété et sa mission de sensibilisation au sein de la collectivité, en particulier en matière de production vivrière durable, de consommation et de nutrition.

Nous invitons amis et diplômés de McGill à appuyer la formation de nos jeunes en contribuant généreusement au patrimoine de la ferme Macdonald pour les générations futures. L’objectif de la Campagne pluriannuelle est 2,5 millions de dollars.

Programme de sensibilisation de la Ferme Macdonald Lancement de la Campagne de Renouvellement

"PHOTO COURTESY MACDONALD CAMPUS FARM

11FOCUS ON MACDONALD McGILL UNIVERSITY

MacFacts: a snapshot of the Faculty in 2014The Sir William Macdonald Giving Society currently has 600 alumni members who have supported the Annual Fund for at least five consecutive years.

In 2013, $245,000 in undergraduate scholarships and $343,000 in graduate scholarships were awarded, thanks to the continued supported of alumni and friends.

The Macdonald graduating class has grown to the point where, this year, it became necessary to hold two convocation ceremonies! 372 students convocated in June.

McGill University ranks 21st in the QS World University Rankings.

It would take an endowment of $9.75 M to generate enough interest to equal Mac’s 2014 Annual Fund (AF) total of $424,251.

$118,790is endowed

$305,461 isdesignated for direct spending

Every gift counts!Did you know that

40% of AFcomes from

92% of Donorswho give less

than $1000annually?

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Macdonald currently has over 12,000 active alumni

The Mac Clan today (by decade)

Three ways to stay in touch...

514-398-7984www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/alumnialumni.macdonald@mcgill.ca

Development and Alumni RelationsLaird Hall, Room 199BMacdonald Campus, McGill University21111 Lakeshore Rd., Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Macdonald Campus, McGill University

21,111 Lakeshore Road

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9

www.mcgill.ca/macdonald

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