Who We Are

Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (Formerly Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station), located in the City of Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario, Canada (48o 22' N, 89o 22' W), was founded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in 1991. The University of Guelph (Kemptville College) managed the Station from 1996 to 2002. Since 2003, LUARS has been operated by the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Association, a not for profit corporation, with partial funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. Starting in 2018, funding for LUARS has been generously provided by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) for five years.

What the Station does

LUARS is committed to the establishment, operation, promotion, and transfer of agricultural research for the further development and diversification of the agricultural industry through small plot research and extension, community-based agricultural research and natural resource management. We take pride in introducing a number of crops/crop varieties and beneficial management practices in our operational area (Community Milestones document). Galega, Kerneza, Perennial Rye, Winter Canola, Frosty Berseem, Chicory and Plantain are some of the new crops at LUARS.

LUARS ADVISORY BOARD 

Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead University, Vice-President, Research and Innovation 
 
Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota PH.D. LUARS, Director
 
Florence MacLean, Lakehead University, Director, Industry Research Partnerships 
 
Melissa Burton, Lakehead University, Executive Assistant 
 
Arnold Breukelman, Arnold was born and raised in Thunder Bay and currently serves on the board of Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Association
  
Ryan Moore, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, Development Officer  
 
Jessica McLaughlin, Collective Future Consulting, Partner 
 
Kendal Donahue, Agriculture Development Advisor, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs  
 
Bernie Kamphof, Owner/Manager, Kamdale Land and Cattle Company, Councillor For Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge
 
Erin Beagle, Executive Director, Roots To Harvest 
 
Fritz Jaspers, along with his two sons, operates a dairy farm while managing approximately 1000 acres of crops
 
Kevin Belluz, B.Sc. Owner of Belluz Farms