A Master of Sustainable Agriculture student at U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), Newman also works as a farm operations manager at a diversified livestock farm in Brant County. Her role ranges from managing pasture and animal handling to coordinating staff, maintaining animal records and helping develop long-term business plans and new farm improvements.
The farm, which raises lambs, pigs, turkeys and chickens on pasture, uses practices including intensive pasture rotation, rainwater integration and a strong focus on animal welfare.
Newman says her graduate studies have given her a broader understanding of what sustainability means across the agri-food sector.
“Sustainability isn't just about how the ecosystem or the environment is changing. It's about many other factors, like are you economically viable?," says Newman.
The course-based Master of Sustainable Agriculture program gives students the opportunity to explore those interconnected aspects of sustainability while learning directly from the agricultural sector. The program begins at U of G’s Ridgetown Campus, where students take part in field trips and connect with producers, industry professionals and other agricultural operators across Ontario.
For Newman, those experiences have helped her see how sustainability is being approached from different perspectives and how new ideas can be applied directly on farms.
“We get the opportunity to tour a wide range of agri-food operations across Ontario, which gave me a better understanding of where the sector is heading,” she says.
After completing her master’s degree, Newman hopes to continue working closely with producers, potentially as a consultant or advisor. Her goal is to become someone farmers can turn to for practical solutions that can be implemented on their operations.
“I want to be a person that farmers can look to for solutions that are applicable and practical for them to use right here and right now, and not five years down the line,” she says.
As Ontario’s agri-food sector continues to explore ways to produce food sustainably while maintaining viable farm businesses, Newman sees an opportunity to help connect emerging knowledge with the people putting it into practice.
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