Donald Kerr - M.Sc. Candidate

E-mail: dskerr@nsac.ca
Tel: (902) 896-2469

I grew up in one of the older suburbs of Ottawa, Ontario, without much exposure to farming or agriculture. My family did quite a bit of backyard gardening over the years, however, so I did learn at an early age where food came from. I graduated from Carleton University with my B.Sc. in Biology in 2000, having focused on genetics, microbiology and plant science. A short but meaningful work experience at a small, cottage-country botanical garden called Belle Terre showed me the value of organic agriculture and living more sustainably with the land. I learned how proper care for the soil and its related organisms provides immeasurable benefits to humans and the natural system as a whole.

Over the next few years, I continued to foster my interests in plants and organic agriculture – through conference attendance, interest group involvement, and extensive reading. For three consecutive summers, I incorporated my hobby of herbal medicine by growing and selling over 75 species of potted organically-grown herb plants at the Carp Farmers’ Market. During much of this time I worked as a research lab technician at the Ottawa Heart Institute, an experience which fuelled my scientific curiosity and my appreciation for the complexities of all biological organisms. At last, I realized I wanted to further my education in agriculture and organics so I could build a meaningful career around them.

In September 2005 I packed up my belongings and drove out to Truro, Nova Scotia to pursue my M.Sc. at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. I joined the OACC a few months later in January 2006 under the supervision of Dr. Andy Hammermeister (co-supervised by Dr. Sina Adl, at Dalhousie University). My research project was designed to address the issue of lower crop establishment observed in organic grain production systems, and it explores seed quality as a possible contributor. Various organic seed treatments are also being evaluated for their potential to improve seed vigour, crop establishment, and yield in organic barley production. Organic seed treatments that show significant improvements in terms of vigour, establishment, yield, or overall crop health may prove to be a useful tool for farmers and seed producers, organic or otherwise.

I consider myself very fortunate to be working in the OACC environment with such knowledgeable and dedicated people, and I’ve identified various aspects of organics that could potentially benefit from my contributions. In my “spare time”, I established an organic campus community garden for students and staff of the NSAC – one of several projects proposed by the Campus Sustainability Initiative club which I’m leading this year. Beyond graduation, I hope to continue promoting organic agriculture and perhaps start focusing on the quality, analysis, production, and conservation of seeds. I am convinced that seed quality and diversity will become more and more important to our survival as a species, as we enter an age of climate change and environmental uncertainty.

 

Posted December 2007