Ralph C. Martin, Ph.D., P.Ag.
Founding Director, OACC

Phone: 902-893-6679
Fax:      902-896-7095
rmartin@nsac.ca

It is an ongoing pleasure for me to be the Director of OACC, an organization I have long imagined.  From across Canada, the participation of farmers, researchers, extension specialists, processors, retailers, students, non-profit organizations, and others, has made OACC a vital force.

My research responsibilities are to investigate funding opportunities and to apply for funds to conduct the research of OACC. I am always looking for collaboration in organic agricultural research and invite you to contact me if you have ideas you want to develop. The Organic Science Cluster is a major part of our current work.

Education and teaching have been a strong interest for me in my career at NSAC. I maintain some responsibilities as a Professor in the Plant and Animal Sciences Department of NSAC. As requested, I offer the graduate modules, Agriculture and Food Ethics, Forages in Organic Agriculture, and Multiple Cropping Systems.  I am also the instructor of the Plant Science course, Cereal-Based Cropping Systems.

I am proud of my background as a farm boy.  I learned what is essential and important about agriculture from my grandfather, before he died, when I was seven. In my Mennonite community I acquired many farm skills as I did in numerous 4-H clubs. My formal education includes a B.A. with philosophy and liberal arts courses. During my M.Sc. in Biology, I developed a keen interest in intercropping and my Ph.D. in Plant Science solidified my fascination with research. My love of teaching grew unexpectedly when I began teaching at NSAC, in 1990. I have organized and participated in numerous teaching conferences since then and thank all my students for teaching me too.

More detailed information about research, teaching, publications and affiliations etc. is available in my C.V. at http://nsac.ca/pas/staff/rma/default.asp


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Posted August 2010