Students in the Applied Sustainable Ranching program at Thompson Rivers University in Williams Lake have been busy since the course began at the end of January.
During the first week they toured area ranches and attended a seminar with ranch management consultant Dave Pratt.
“The seminar with Dave was very well received and we had a number of local ranchers in attendance as well,” said program director Gillian Watt.
On Feb. 22, the students visited the South Cariboo Agri-Culture Enterprise Centre in 100 Mile House and attended a seminar put on by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“It has been a great experience for everyone so far,” Watt said.
Twelve students are in the program, with the majority coming from the Williams Lake and 100 Mile House area.
There is one student from Kamloops and one from Yukon.
The student from Yukon attended in person the first week and then returned home to work and continue his studies from a distance.
He tunes in for seminars using a video conferencing technology called BlueJeans, Watt said.
There’s another student from Spences Bridge who is really busy on his ranch now as well so he also uses BlueJeans.
“It is a lot of fun,” Watt said.
“We can see their faces and they can see all of us.”
The two outside students participate in group project work, just like they are there in person, she added.
Most of the local students are staying on their own ranches, and one who is not from a ranch, is billeted.
On various Fridays, the students attend seminars together, usually when they’ve completed a module.
Their first module covered the aspects of developing a business strategy.
“They did a great job on that one,” Watt said. “They did amazing group presentations as if they were consultants and were called in to assist a ranch develop a business strategy.”
This Sunday, the students will complete the second module on financial management.
After that they will delve into finance. The students will be expected to develop a capital expenditures plan and determine how they will finance it.
Part of that third module will see Darlene Campbell, Williams Lake Bank of Montreal agriculture account manager, and BC Breeders and Feeders Association acting president Lindy Gilson give a seminar on March 11.
“We are also hoping to have someone come from Farm Credit Canada to that one,” Watt said.
Feedback from the students on the first module was that it was quite a lot of work, but Watt said the program developers expected that it would be.
“The students all got through it really well and in the next one the work is spread out a bit more.”
Watt said what the students are enjoying the most is the applied aspect of the program, that their assignments are based on their own ranch, or the one they would like to build.
“So I think that’s giving them a lot of value. It’s been a great experience for everyone so far.”