Canadian Cattle Young Leaders
Russell Gallelli lives west of Crossfield, Alta., on a fourth-generation family farm, where they raise purebred Charolais and red Angus-Charolais-cross commercial cattle. His passion for cattle started when he was very young, helping his parents run their herd, being actively involved with 4-H and showing cattle. Showing cattle has continued with some fall cattle shows, such as Farm Fair International, Agribition and the Alberta Charolais Select, to showcase his cattle and meet potential buyers. Alongside the cattle, Gallelli grain farms with his parents. Gallelli has been very proactive in bringing in new technologies, herd and pasture management practices, and being an environmental steward to ensure that his operation is running at its best. He is also involved with the Alberta Charolais Association board and raises his cattle under the VBP+ program. Gallelli’s mentor is Mike Panasiuk, owner and founder of Springside Farms, located in central Alberta, which specializes in the production of purebred Charolais breeding stock. Panasiuk has exhibited cattle across the country, and has judged the National Charolais Show in Guadalajara, Mexico. He’s also been part of the Youth Employment and Skills program.
Tyson Ringdal was raised on a dairy farm in Armstrong, B.C. He has been involved in 4-H in two provinces, totalling seven years, and was a member of the Canadian Junior Hereford Association. Ringdal’s family purchased their first beef cows in 2011 and the herd grew from there. In 2016, his family moved to Outlook, Sask., to start a beef operation and are currently at 400 cows. In 2019, Ringdal earned a diploma in animal science technology from Lakeland College. Since then, he has been involved on the farm full-time helping to grow the VBP+ operation. For the past three years, the farm has been raising the calf crop to finish. He considers managing the farm like a business and finding efficiencies very important for long-term sustainability. Ringdal’s mentor is Gord Roger, a 38-year veteran of the Canadian animal health industry and part of the Elanco animal health ruminant team. Roger and his wife, Jackie, operate both a purebred and commercial Angus operation near Balgonie, Sask.
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Lawrence MacAulay is back at the helm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as Marie-Claude Bibeau takes over as Minister of National Revenue. MacAulay, who hails from P.E.I., served as federal ag minister from 2015 to 2019. He was first elected as an MP in 1998, and has also served as Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. Bibeau was first elected in 2015, and previously served as the Minister of International Development, before moving to agriculture in 2019. She was the first woman to hold that position.
Melissa Jeffers-Bezan, our field editor at Canadian Cattlemen, has had an eventful summer. She was named the Canadian Farm Writers Federation New Writer of the Year at the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress in Alberta in July. Jeffers-Bezan, a graduate of the University of Regina School of Journalism, joined Cattlemen in 2022 after working at the Western Producer. You may also have noticed a change to her byline this issue. Jeffers-Bezan also married her fiancée, Patrick Jeffers, this summer. Congratulations, Melissa, on the award, and all the best to you and Patrick!
Olds College of Agriculture and Technology has awarded Dr. Jay Cross a honorary degree for his contributions to veterinary medicine and education. Cross has over 20 years of experience as a professor of reproductive biology and genetics at the University of Calgary, and has made significant advancements in understanding animal reproduction and development. His research on embryo implantation, fetal growth and maternal adaptations to pregnancy has greatly improved veterinary care practices.
Dr. Alexandra Weaver, Dr. Alex Yiannikouris and Nick Adams of Alltech, along with Dr. Daniel Weaver were recognized by Toxins, a research journal, for their work on mycotoxins. Their paper, titled Co-occurrence of 35 mycotoxins: A seven-year survey of corn grain and corn silage in the United States was one of three awarded the 2022 Best Paper Awards by the magazine.
Alberta Veterinary Labs/Solvet was recognized as Manufacturer of the Year for the Production Animal Division at Patterson Animal Health’s 2023 National Sales Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, this summer. AVL/ Solvet was founded by Drs. Merle and Barb Olson. Patterson Animal Health is the world’s largest distributor of animal health products.
Dr. Enid Stiles is the recipient of the external Industry Leaders Award, from the Canadian Animal Health Institute, for her work contributing to the animal health field. Stiles, who started Sherwood Park Animal Hospital in 2009, has contributed to many animal health organizations, including as a founding member and past president of Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires sans frontières Canada. Dr. Tamara Hofstede of Elanco Canada received the CAHI Chair Award for her contributions to the organization. Hofstede has been active on the organization’s drug and code of marketing practice committees, and notably has chaired a task group on Quebec’s regulation around terms and conditions for medication sales.
Congratulations to Sherri Grant of Val Marie Sask., who was recently honoured by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association for more than 30 years of work delivering beef education programming across the province.
The Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture held its annual event at Olds College this summer. Speakers between the ages of 11 and 24 delivered five- to seven-minute speeches on agriculture to a lecture hall full of people. Claire Mossing from Foothills County and Tenley Warburton from Hanna won this year’s junior and senior divisions, respectively. Warburton and Mossing will be joined by senior reserve champion Carmen White from Claresholm at the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November.
