John Church

Associate Professor in Natural Resource Science, Thompson Rivers University

Dr. John Church is an Associate Professor in Natural Resource Science at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia as well as Research Chair in Cattle Industry Sustainability. John initially started Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch in 1997, a large bison and elk operation east of the Rockies just southwest of Calgary, Alberta. In addition to practical and direct bison industry experience, John served for eight years as the Alberta provincial animal welfare specialist, and served as the Chair of the Scientific Committee for the Canadian Bison Code of Practice for which he was a member. Dr. Church earned his PhD in Agriculture from the University of Alberta in 1997, studying the effects of production practices on the behavior and management of bison, elk and cattle on farms. Dr. Church now leads a multidisciplinary research team at TRU dedicated to the exploration and invention of innovative practices and technologies leading to the sustainability and enhancement of the cattle and bison industry, rangelands, and meat production and related products. The focus of Dr. Church’s research program is on new opportunities for beef and bison producers in the areas of value-added and branded meat production, which includes human and environmental health. In addition, his research program is now using drones for Precision Ranching, with a goal towards improved management of both the land base as well as the animals.