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Category: Agriculture

Borrow a Blanket, Find Your Favourite Spot: Picnic Blankets Now Available at Dal Libraries

Looking for a new place to study, relax, or connect with friends between classes? Dalhousie Libraries is excited to support the Be Well @ Dal initiative by offering picnic blankets for loan from our library service points.

The picnic blanket loan project encourages students, faculty, and staff to spend more time outdoors, enjoy the university’s green spaces, and connect with nature and one another. Whether you’re enjoying the Alumni Gardens, reading on the quad, meeting classmates for a study session, sharing lunch with friends, or simply taking a well-deserved break, a picnic blanket makes it easy to turn any patch of grass into your own outdoor escape.

These Dalhousie tartan blankets can be borrowed just like other library materials. The initiative was inspired by a simple idea: making it easier for the campus community to step outside, get some fresh air, and support their well-being through time spent outdoors. So next time the sun is shining, stop by a participating library service point, borrow a blanket, and make the most of Dal’s beautiful outdoor spaces.

Stop by the service point at the following libraries or check our library catalogue:

  • MacRae Library (Truro)
  • Sexton Library
  • Kellogg Library
  • Killam Library

The picnic blankets were generously donated by the Bell Well @ Dal Physical Spaces action group. The Be Well @ Dal initiative supports individual and community well-being across the university through programs, activities, and spaces that help people thrive.

Tracing the Journey of the Campus Blanket

Last month, Dal Libraries unveiled a new exhibit at the MacRae Library celebrating one of the Faculty of Agriculture’s most enduring traditions: the Campus Blanket.

Since 2003, Campus Blankets have been produced using wool from sheep raised on the Agricultural Campus. The exhibit traces the journey from sheep to finished blanket, highlighting the people, processes, and history behind this Dal tradition.

Created through collaboration with campus partners, the display brings together blankets, yarn, handcrafted wool items, archival records, museum artifacts, photographs, and books from Dal Libraries’ collections.

Visitors learn about the sheep raised on campus, the annual shearing process, and the origins of the Campus Blanket program. A sheep management course manual from 2001 provides historical context, while photographs and artifacts document every stage of production, from sorting and packaging wool to its transport to a mill in Prince Edward Island and its transformation into finished blankets.

The exhibit features both an original Campus Blanket and one from this year’s production, alongside other wool products made from campus fleece, including hand-knit hats.

To complement the display, Dal Libraries also created a commemorative bookmark featuring a 2003 Agricola alumni news clipping announcing the launch of the Campus Blanket program. Drawn from the Edith Zillig collection (MS-14-22), the bookmark includes QR codes linking visitors to the archives catalogue and the Barley Boutique, where Campus Blankets and other Agricultural Campus merchandise are available.

By tracing the journey from sheep to finished blanket, the exhibit brings to life a uniquely Dal story of innovation, tradition, and community.

Student Innovation on Display: MacRae Library’s 3rd Student Research Poster Competition

By: Jaclyn Chambers Page, Copyright Librarian + Faculty of Agriculture Liaison Librarian

The MacRae Library hosted the third Student Research Poster Competition for Dal’s Agricultural Campus (AC) students on March 18, 2026. Students representing topics from across departments in the Faculty of Agriculture came together to share their research with one another and an audience of students, faculty, and staff from across the AC community.

The audience engaged with researchers one-on-one to learn more about the research featured on the posters, serving as judges in this “people’s choice”-style contest, selecting their top three favourite posters based on a provided rubric.

The winners were:

1. First Place ($100): Prakhar Talwar, Sahil Sahil, Siyi Sun, and Glen Dsouza for “Biochar: A Multifunctional Material for Sustainable Environmental Remediation.”

2. Second Place ($50): Alanna De Boer for “Effects of Blueberry Juice Concentration on Green Tea Kombucha Fermentation and Antioxidant Properties.”

3. Third Place ($25): Belle Kim for “Genome-wide Association Studies of Feed Efficiency and Resilience Traits in Canadian Duroc Pigs.”

All students associated with the Truro Campus, from any academic level, were welcome to submit to the competition. This year, the competition featured undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students from areas related to animal science, plant science, and engineering. Microsoft Co-Pilot (Microsoft, 2026) accurately identified the following key themes evident across the breadth of entries:

Sustainable and climate‑resilient agriculture

  • Developing environmentally friendly technologies, materials, and systems to support low‑impact, resilient agricultural production.

Animal welfare, behaviour, and precision livestock monitoring

  • Using genetics, sensors, and housing design to improve animal health, welfare, and productivity.

Functional foods, fermentation, and nutritional bioactives

  • Leveraging natural bioactive compounds, fermentation, and innovative food processing to enhance nutritional or therapeutic properties.

Plant–insect interactions and integrated pest management

  • Understanding how pests and pathogens respond to environmental and chemical cues to improve crop protection strategies.

Dalhousie Librarians Erin MacPherson and Jaclyn Chambers Page organized and hosted the competition, supported by Elaine MacInnis, Acting Dean of Libraries, Head of MacRae Library, and Associate Dean, Library Services.

We are grateful to the students, faculty members, and community members who came to support our student researchers, including the Dean of Agriculture and Campus Principal, Dr. Heather Bruce, and the Faculty of Agriculture Associate Dean Academic, Dr. Dian Patterson.

For more information about the competition, please contact the MacRae Library at macrae.library@dal.ca.

Left to right: Jaclyn Chambers Page, Prakhar Talwar, Sahil Sahil, Alanna De Boer, Belle Kim, Erin MacPherson

References

Microsoft. (2026, March 19). Identify key themes [Generative AI chat]. M65 Copilot. https://bit.ly/40D9uWT

Dal Agricultural Campus Fine Arts & Crafts Exhibit

The Dalhousie Agricultural Campus Community Fine Arts & Crafts Exhibit is back, showcasing the artistic talents of the Agricultural campus community. This annual event celebrates creativity in all its forms, and we invite you to join us at the opening reception.

Event Details

  • Opening Reception: Thursday, February 26,  6:00 – 7:30 PM
  • Exhibition Dates: February 26-April 4
  • Location: MacRae Library, 135 College Road, Truro
  • Admission: Free!

For more information: dalacart@dal.ca

Showcase Your Research at the 2026 MacRae Library Student Research Poster Competition

The MacRae Library Student Research Poster Competition returns to the Truro Campus on March 18, 2026, inviting students and post‑docs to share their research with the campus community. Now in its third year, this event offers an encouraging space for emerging researchers to highlight their work, exchange ideas, and gain valuable presentation experience.

Whether your research is new, ongoing, or previously completed, this competition provides an excellent opportunity to communicate your findings, build confidence, and connect with others who are passionate about inquiry and discovery.

How to Participate

To join the competition, complete the online application form by March 12. Participants may submit either a digital or print poster.

Digital Posters

  • Will be presented to attendees as QR codes
  • Must be easy to read on mobile devices

Print Posters

  • Must be dropped off at the MacRae Library front desk by 3 pm on March 13
  • Will be displayed on the library’s top floor from March 16 to 19

The competition is open to Truro Start, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as post‑docs. No prior publishing or presentation experience is required, and posters on all research topics are welcome. A maximum of 25 posters will be accepted on a first‑come, first‑served basis.

Competition Night & Viewing the Posters

On March 18, participants will share their posters with attendees during an evening research celebration, where audience members will also vote for their favourite posters.

Even if you are not competing, you can explore the posters on display throughout the MacRae Library from March 16 to 19. This is a great chance to see the breadth of research happening across the Truro Campus and support your peers.

Need Help Creating a Poster?

Research Camp, an online, self‑paced program offered through Brightspace, includes a module on poster presentations along with a wide range of research skills. You can self‑register anytime under Academic Support > Self‑registration > Online Community – Research Camp 2025–2026.

For questions, email macrae.library@dal.ca.

Dal Agricultural Campus Community Fine Arts & Crafts Exhibit – Call for Submissions

The Dalhousie Agricultural Campus Community Fine Arts & Crafts Exhibit is back, and we’re inviting the Agricultural campus community to share their artistic talents. This annual event celebrates creativity in all its forms, and we invite you to submit your artwork for the exhibition.

What is the Dal AC Art Show?

Hosted by the MacRae Library, the arts and crafts exhibit provides a welcoming space for students, faculty, and staff to display their original artwork. Whether you’re a painter, photographer, sculptor, woodworker, or digital creator, we want to showcase the creative abilities of the people who study, learn, and thrive at the Agricultural campus.

How to Participate

We are now accepting submissions for the show. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Who can submit? All Dal AC students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
  • What can you submit? Original artwork in any medium: painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, digital art, etc
  • Submission deadline: January 30, 2026
  • How to submit: complete the submission form

Why Participate?

Your art will be featured in a public exhibition at the MacRae Library, allowing you to share your creativity with the Dal AC community. It’s a wonderful way to connect with fellow artists.

Event Details

  • Opening Reception: February 26
  • Exhibition Dates: February 26-April 4
  • Location: MacRae Library, 135 College Road, Truro
  • Admission: Free!

Submit your work today. For full details and submission guidelines, visit the Dal AC Art Show info page.

For questions, please contact Stephanie Peach, exhibit curator at: dalacart@dal.ca.

Changes to ProQuest: What You Need to Know

If you use ProQuest to find articles, reports, or other research materials, you might notice things look a little different. That’s because ProQuest (owned by Clarivate) has reorganized how its databases are grouped and accessed. Here’s a quick overview of what’s changed and what it means for you.

What’s New?

Our subscription to ProQuest Central has been upgraded to ProQuest Central Premium. This new version includes even more content than before. ProQuest has also bundled its databases into themed collections, which are now grouped under 8 broad subject areas called ProQuest One. For example:

  • ProQuest One Social Sciences
  • ProQuest One Health & Nursing
  • ProQuest One Business, and more.

Each of these includes multiple collections and databases, providing you with access to a broader range of materials in one place.

What Does This Mean for You?

  • More content: You now have access to additional resources that weren’t included before, like J.P. Morgan Research in the Business collection.
  • Fewer direct links: Some individual databases (like Sociological Abstracts) can no longer be linked to directly. Instead, they’re part of larger collections. You can still search them, but you’ll access them through the broader collection or subject area.
  • Updates coming soon: Our library team is updating links on our website (like the A-Z database list and LibGuides) to reflect these changes. You may also need to update any saved links or course materials that point to specific databases.

Need Help?

If you’re unsure how to access a specific resource or need help updating your materials, please reach out to us at library.eresources@dal.ca.

MacRae Library Grows Agricultural Research Connections at Student Research Poster Competition

By Jaclyn Chambers Page, Copyright Librarian + Faculty of Agriculture Liaison Librarian, (refined with the aid of Claude.ai) 

The MacRae Library at Dalhousie University’s Agricultural Campus hosted its Second Annual Student Research Poster Competition on March 12, 2025 The competition showcased innovative agricultural research from Dalhousie students and postdocs. The event featured 27 submissions—a significant increase from last year’s inaugural competition—highlighting the growing interest in agricultural research. 

Left to right: Venkatraman Manikandan, Yashan Dhaliwal, Nandhini Krishnamoorthy (Photo by Elaine MacInnis) 

Following careful evaluation by students, faculty, and community members, three researchers were awarded prizes for their outstanding work: 

  1. First Place ($100): Nandhini Krishnamoorthy for “From Waste to Growth: Harnessing Compost CO₂ in Greenhouse Agriculture” 
  2. Second Place ($50): Yashan Dhaliwal for “Bimodal Data Analysis for Early Detection of Lameness in Dairy Cows using Artificial Intelligence” 
  3. Third Place ($25): Venkatraman Manikandan for “Unlocking Poultry Vocalizations – Artificial Intelligence for Welfare Monitoring and Sustainable Farming” 

The competition invited agricultural researchers at all academic levels—from undergraduate to postdoctoral—to submit research posters. During the evening event, participants engaged with attendees in one-on-one discussions about their research. Attendees evaluated each presentation using a standardized rubric, with the three highest-scoring posters receiving prizes. 

The variety of research presented is a testament to the exciting possibilities of agricultural research as students rise to the challenge of climate change, harness the power of artificial intelligence, seek to protect and improve the health and well-being of plants and animals, and more. Key themes included: 

  • Climate Change Adaptation: Several projects explored carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas mitigation, and sustainable farming practices 
  • Artificial Intelligence Applications: Multiple researchers leveraged AI for animal welfare monitoring, communication analysis, and farming optimization 
  • Plant and Animal Health: Innovative approaches to disease prevention, nutrition, and well-being for various species 
  • Sustainable Resource Use: Converting agricultural waste into valuable products and developing eco-friendly materials 

Dalhousie librarians Erin MacPherson and Jaclyn Chambers Page organized and hosted the competition with the support of Elaine MacInnis, Head of MacRae Library and Associate Dean, Library Services.  

The organizers would like to extend their gratitude to the students, faculty members, and community members who came to support our student researchers, including Dean of Agriculture and Campus Principal, Dr. Heather Bruce, and Faculty of Agriculture Associate Dean Academic, Dr. Dian Patterson.  

Special thanks to Alison Brierley, former Dalhousie Libraries multidisciplinary intern for designing the event marketing material, Michael Vandenburg, Dean of Libraries, and Elaine MacInnis, Associate Dean Library Services and Head of MacRae Library, for their continuing support of this event. 

Full list of poster submissions: 

  • Bao Ho Dinh: From the assessment of forest biomass to carbon sequestration under climate change crisis: a comparative study of Daklak (Vietnam) and Atlantic Canada 
  • Bolappa Gamage Kaushalya Madhavi: Effect of Hydro-Thermodynamic Processing (HTD) on the Physicochemical, Techno-Functional, Nutritional, and Structural Properties of Protein Isolates from Defatted Camelina Meal 
  • Bubacarr Jobarteh: Carbon-Smart Poultry – Leveraging Satellite Data & Artificial Intelligence for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Canadian Farming 
  • Hanqing Bi: Evaluating the impact of Environmental Enrichment on Turkey Behavior and Activity Levels Using Accelerometer Data 
  • Cullen MacDonald: Developing novel anti-browning agents from defatted wheat germ 
  • Damith Costa: Enhancing haskap (Lonicera caerulea) anthocyanin utilization: Development of a scalable extraction and stabilization Process. 
  • Devasena Mahesh: Effect of wood preservatives on soil and plants 
  • Kappeeran Venkatesan: How Climate change shapes the future of Late Blight Disease? 
  • Koushika Kumaresan
  • Mackenzie Tapp: Adapting the Cool Farm Tool for Net Zero Poultry Farming in Atlantic Canada – A Survey on Poultry Farms in Canada 
  • Marianna Rampaul: Insights into the frontline antiviral defence of Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis 
  • Mayuri Kate: AI–Powered Bovine Communication ~ Enhancing Sustainable Livestock Farming 
  • Nandhini Krishnamoorthy: From Waste to Growth: Harnessing Compost CO₂ in Greenhouse Agriculture 
  • Prajesh Padmanabhan Jagannathan: Accelerating Climate Action – High Resolution Methane Mapping in Canadian Poultry Farms 
  • Prakhar Talwar: Waste-to-Biofuel: Innovations in Thermochemical Valorization of Agricultural, Forestry and Plastic Residues 
  • Rosemarijn van Schaik: Pen Optimization for Farmed Mink 
  • Savio Augustine: Survey of the traditional plants used by Mi’kmaq people in and around Dalhousie University’s Agricultural Campus 
  • Senari Wijesooriya Arachchige: Development of antifungal-biodegradable mulch film for controlling verticillium wilt in strawberries 
  • Shreya Rao: Advancing Dairy Cow Management Digital Twin Technology for Precision Nutrition 
  • Shubhangi Mahato: Dairy DigiD ~ A Deep Learning-Based, Non-Invasive Biometric Identification System for Dairy Cattle Using Detectron2 
  • Shuqiang Zhang (Reimagining Dairy Cow Well-Being through Video-Based Pain Detection) 
  • Sibi Parivendan: Social Dynamics in the Digital Pasture: Advanced Vision-Based Tracking of Dairy Cow Interactions 
  • Sukhjinder Singh: Triboelectric Nanogenerators For Smart Agriculture Technologies 
  • Venkatraman Manikandan: Unlocking Poultry Vocalizations – Artificial Intelligence for Welfare Monitoring and Sustainable Farming 
  • Yashan Dhaliwal: Bimodal Data Analysis for Early Detection of Lameness in Dairy Cows using Artificial Intelligence 
  • Yiru Wei: Bridging Health and Sustainability: The Role of Traditional Health Beliefs in Food Consumption 
  • Zohreh Fazelan (Insights into the American lobster defence mechanisms against Anophryoides haemophila infection)         

For more information about the competition, please contact the MacRae Library at macrae.library@dal.ca 

2nd Annual MacRae Library Research Poster Competition

Showcase Your Research

Attention all students and post-docs from the Truro Campus! The MacRae Library Student Research Poster Competition is returning on March 12, 2025, for its second year, promising another exciting opportunity for students to showcase their innovative research.

This event is a fantastic platform for budding researchers to present their work, engage with the academic community, gain valuable feedback, and possibly win a gift card prize.

Whether you’re a participant or an attendee, the competition is an excellent chance to explore diverse research topics, network with peers, and celebrate the achievements of student researchers.  

Submit Your Application

To register for the competition, complete the online application form by March 5 and prepare a digital or print version of your research poster* to share with other students, faculty, and staff from the Truro campus on March 12 from 6-8pm.

Please note that digital posters will be presented to attendees as QR codes so your poster should be scalable for mobile devices. If you want to showcase a print version of your research poster, it must be submitted to the MacRae Library front desk by 3 pm on March 7.  Posters will be displayed on the Library’s top floor from March 10-14, 2025. This competition is open to all Truro Start, undergraduate, graduate students, and post-docs on the Truro Campus and no previous publishing or presentation experience is required. Research can explore any topic and does not need to be new.  

Vote for the Winners 

On March 12, 2025, from 6-8 pm, researchers will engage with event attendees to discuss their posters in the MacRae Library Program Rooms (218/219). Audience members will vote for their favourite poster using a scoring rubric and the top three posters will receive a gift card. The event is open to everyone, including community members from Truro, Bible Hill, and surrounding areas.

Can’t make the event? Posters will be on display for asynchronous viewing at the MacRae Library from March 10-14, 2025. 

Let’s come together and celebrate the incredible work of our student researchers and their future global impact. We look forward to receiving your submissions and hearing more about your work. 

Important Dates 

  • March 5 – Competition registration deadline
  • March 7 – Deadline to submit print posters (3 pm)
  • March 12 – Competition night (6-8pm) 

If you have any questions, please contact Jaclyn Chambers Page at jchamberspage@dal.ca. 

*Curious about how to prepare a poster presentation? Sign up for Research Camp, an online, asynchronous program created by Dal Libraries with support from the Writing Centre. It covers all the elements of research, from basic to advanced skills, with video lectures, interactive exercises, and more, including a special module on Poster Presentations in the “Presenting and Publishing Research” section.  Self-register in Brightspace by clicking Academic Support > Self registration > Online Community – Research Camp 2024-2025. You can enroll anytime and complete as many modules as you wish. 

 

Call for 2025 OER Development Grant Applications

The Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries has called for applications for AtlanticOER Development Grants. Funding is provided by the four Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island).

AtlanticOER Development Grants provide financial support to instructors in the Atlantic Region creating and adapting new Open Educational Resources. The goal is to support instructors to increase the availability of quality, free, openly licensed resources to support student learning. You can apply for three different funding tiers, depending on the scope of your project. The tiers are:

Tier 1: Creating an Open Textbook (up to $7,000) – This funding is intended for the development of a new open textbook. The topic should not be covered in an already existing open textbook. This tier is meant for creation projects at a larger scale.

Tier 2: Adaptation of an Existing Open Textbook (up to $4,000) – This funding is intended for substantive adaptation projects. Sometimes it can be possible to find an open textbook that covers foundational knowledge but needs to be adjusted. For example, the textbook might require adjustments to ensure it adheres to local educational standards, or adjustments might be made to make it relevant to the local context (eg, an American business textbook may need adjustments to make it suitable for a Canadian business context), or new examples and interactive elements may be added to a book.

Tier 3: Creation of Ancillary Materials (up to $1,000) – This funding is intended for smaller creation projects. Ancillary materials can be defined as course materials that are meant to supplement and support a textbook. Examples of ancillary materials include: slide decks, interactive tutorials, and quiz and test banks. Often, ancillary materials can enhance student learning.

The application period closes on February 14, 2025.

Read more about the application process and who can apply.

 

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