Ryan Beierbach of Whitewood is the new chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association; Rick Toney of Gull Lake is vice-chair. New to the board is Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association (SCFA) representative Chad Ross of Estevan, replacing outgoing chair Bill Jameson. Brad Welter returns as the other SCFA rep, as do Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association representatives Lloyd Thompson and Harold Martens. All district directors up for election were returned by acclamation at fall meetings. Duane Thompson of Kelliher was elected for a one-year term. Pat Hayes of Val Marie and Reg Schellenberg of Beechy continue to represent Saskatchewan on the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association board.
The Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association elected Martin Zuidhof of Lacombe as chair and Ryan Kasko of Coaldale as vice chair at its January annual general meeting in Lethbridge. Page Stuart of Vegreville becomes past chair. Kasko, John Schooten of Diamond City, and Keith Ypma of Taber were returned to two-year terms. The board welcomed four new directors: Jake Bueckert of Warner, Greg Schmidt of Barrhead, James Bekkering of Taber, and Jeff Smith of Taber. Directors with a year remaining in their terms are Craig Paskal of Picture Butte; Leighton Kolk, Iron Springs; Jason Hagel, Swalwell and John Lawton, Niton Junction.
Dr. John McKinnon, the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan and a regular columnist to this publication, was awarded the 2015 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation at the recent Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference is Saskatoon. His research program has advanced the use of wet distiller’s byproducts for feedlot cattle, grain screenings for growing cattle, real-time ultrasound for predicting carcass quality, the impact of the environment on cattle performance in Western Canada and the use of high-lipid feeds for growing and finishing rations.
Killarney-area beef and forage producer Dave Koslowsky is the new chair of the Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association (MFGA) replacing longtime chair Jim Lintott. Koslowsky and his wife Rhonda run a 1,720-acre mixed farm outside of Killarney that includes a herd of 120 cows. He is also a director of the Manitoba Beef Producers. Also named to the board are Ryan Boyd of Forrest, Larry Wegner of Virden and Henry Nelson of Winnipeg.
Ryan and Sarah Boyd and Ryan’s parents, Jim and Joanne, of SG&R Farms north of Forrest, are this year’s recipients of Manitoba’s environmental stewardship award presented by Manitoba Beef Producers. The Boyds farm 1,400 acres of perennial pasture, 2,000 acres of crop and 300 cows. The cattle rotate through a planned grazing system that starts with stockpiled forages in early April and ends with standing corn in late December. High stock densities with frequent moves trample forage residues to help maintain a litter cover that protects soil from erosion.
Dr. Cecilia (Cec) Ruschkowski from Oyen, Alta. is this year’s recipient of the Boehringer Ingelheim WCABP Veterinarian of the Year award. She has operated the Oyen Veterinary Services clinic since she graduated from vet school in 1984.
Last fall Oyen Veterinarian Services was presented with the Merial Student Rotation Award from the University of Calgary faculty of veterinary medicine. This award is voted on by the students and given to the clinic that has offered the best learning environment in their fourth-year rotation.
Recipients of the 2016 Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference Scholarships totalling $1,500 for students in third- or fourth-year studies in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine or the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan are Kristelle Harper, in her fourth year of animal science, and Cordell Young, in his third year of veterinary medicine.
Heinz Reimer of Steinbach was returned for his third year as president of Manitoba Beef Producers during the February annual general meeting at Brandon. Reimer was acclaimed to his third two-year term representing District 4, as were all of the district representatives whose terms had expired, with the exception of Theresa Zuk, who completed her six-year term limit and was replaced in District 10 by Ken McKay.
Serving with Reimer on the 2016 executive are vice-president Ramona Blyth of MacGregor, second-vice Tom Teichroeb of Langruth, secretary Ben Fox of Dauphin, and Peter Penner of Winkler replaces Zuk of Arborg as treasurer.
Graeme Hedley, the former executive director of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA), now Beef Farmers of Ontario, will be inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in June. During his 31 years with the OCA Hedley helped develop electronic sales for beef cattle, the Toronto Stockyards Land Development Fund that provides funds to provincial livestock organizations and find ways for the industry to address consumer concerns about animal welfare and environmental safety.
Feedlot operators Shane and Kristin Schooten of Diamond City, Alta., were named the 2016 Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) for the Alberta and Northwest Territories Region on February 5. The couple works alongside Shane’s family operating Schooten & Sons Custom Feedyard Ltd., consisting of four feed yards, a cow-calf herd and cropland, along with managing a separate trucking and custom silaging company.
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