Indian Head Indian Head can refer to:
Coins
* Indian Head cent, U.S. one cent coin (1859–1909)
*Indian Head eagle, U.S. $10 gold piece issued between 1907 and 1933
*Indian Head gold pieces, U.S. coins issued between 1908 and 1929
*Indian Head nickel, U.S. f ...
Research Farm in Saskatchewan. He was instrumental in establishing the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) in the early 1990s and had a major impact on cropping practices and soil conservation.
Early life and education
Lafond grew up in
St. Jean Baptiste, Manitoba
St. Jean Baptiste is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district in Manitoba. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Montcalm along Highway 75, 40 km north of Emerson at the United States border, and 60 km sout ...
, and obtained his bachelor's and master’s degrees from the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. He then obtained his Ph.D. from the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
and worked at their Crop Development Centre in 1984 before settling his family at Agriculture Canada’s research farm in Indian Head. After working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for over 30 years, he passed away peacefully in April 2013 in
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
, after battling cancer.
Career
Lafond began his career with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 1985, where he provided strong leadership and conducted research aimed at soil conservation and sustainable agriculture practices. His career started during the no-till farming revolution, which he had closely tracked ever since. His areas of research at the Indian Head Research Farm included agronomy of no-till, cropping systems, precision farming, cereal, oilseed and pulse production, soil, fertilizer, and land management.
Lafond changed the face of agriculture in Western Canada with his pioneering research in no-till farming and contributions to the adoption of direct seeding. He was one of the most distinguished conservation researchers in Canada and shared his knowledge with researchers and producers around the world, including in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and across
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. In Canada and internationally, many profited from his expertise and tireless unbiased research.
Lafond’s research in precision agriculture helped farmers change how they work and learn new information about their land. With GPS technology and earth observation satellites, farmers can acquire insightful data on soil and crop health, and farm machinery is able to have navigational abilities and auto-steering. This information and technology from precision agriculture can help farmers tailor their practices to maximize yield and sustainability by applying seed, fertilizer, and pesticides in the right amounts, at the right time in the right place.
In the early 1990s, Lafond played a leading role in establishing the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) that continues to conduct applied research for farmers. IHARF is a non-profit organization that aims to promote sustainable and profitable agriculture and benefit the agricultural community by facilitating research and technology transfer activities. It is widely recognized as an innovative leader in public-good research.
Awards and achievements
* Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Associate Award of Outstanding contribution to the development of zero-till and direct seeding
* The Weed Science Society of America Award of Excellence
* Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association Award of Merit
* Canadian Society of Agronomy Distinguished Agrologist
* Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy
* Diamond jubilee recipient
* Honoured posthumously (March 2014) for his lifetime achievement and leadership in no-till development and agronomy research with an induction into the Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame in Ottawa