Annessa Good, Bree Patterson and Dean Sentes are three of the young people accepted into the 2018/2019 Cattlemen’s Young Leader Program.

Annessa Good hails from a mixed farm at Cremona, Alta. Good studied business, specializing in supply chain management, at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Good worked in various industries before moving back to the family farm. She is now building her own cow herd and working with a local purebred Angus breeder. She’s also working in her family’s company, GRS Consulting Ltd., which helps farm families with succession planning. Good’s mentor is Dr. Jude Capper.

Bree Patterson grew up in B.C.’s dairy land. Although her family didn’t farm or ranch, she was bit by the agricultural bug at age nine thanks to 4-H. Patterson earned an animal science diploma from Lakeland College. She worked as an agronomic advisor and grain merchant, milked cows, and built her own ag photography business. In 2017, she completed a communications degree and launched an agricultural communications company, Just.Ag Productions. She is now based out of Kamloops, where she works as the B.C. Cattlemen’s beef production specialist. Patterson’s mentor is Sandy Russell.

Dean Sentes was raised on a commercial cow/calf operation in rural Saskatchewan. As a child, he was always the first one to jump in the truck to check cows with his grandpa. He joined 4-H at age 12 and was president of the Saskatchewan Junior Angus Association. Sentes earned a livestock production diploma from Lakeland College in Vermilion. Sentes and his wife Gina raise purebred Simmentals under the name Millington Ranch near Cymric, Sask. Sentes is the Saskatchewan representative on the Young Cattleman’s Council and also works as a grain merchant for Richardson Pioneer. Doug and Judy Finseth are Sentes’ mentors.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association held their AGM in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference this January in Regina. After many years as board members, Bill Huber, Joe Jackson and Garret Hill stepped down. Rick Toney of Gull Lake remains the chair, while Arnold Balicki of Shellbrook takes over as vice-chair. Dean Moore of Paradise Hill is the new finance chair. Chad Ross of Estevan is the member-at-large. Scott Greiner of Indian Head joined the board as the new representative from District 2.

Chad Ross was also elected president of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association at the association’s AGM, also held in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference. Rounding out the executive are Will Lowe of Kyle (vice-president), Ryan Thompson of Ceylon (finance chair) and Jordan Kowal of Crooked River (past president). Kevin Antworth of Hazenmore joined as a new director, filling the position previously held by Bill Jameson of Moose Jaw.

Shannon McArton has assumed the role of executive director at the Saskatchewan Forage Council. McArton’s work in the grain and livestock sectors has included communications, along with project and quality systems management. She is also a quality systems auditor in the pedigreed seed industry. McArton will be working for the council from her home office near Dilke, Sask.

Dr. Steve Radostits of Leduc, Alta., received the 2019 Boehringer Ingelheim/WCABP Veterinarian of the Year award. Dr. Radostits graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. Since then he’s practiced at the Farm Animal Hospital in Leduc, Alta. Professionally, he has been involved with many initiatives such as the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners, the herd health program at the University of Alberta and the advisory committee for the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar. He’s also been a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta and a guest speaker and sponsor of the local 4-H club.

Gracyn Johnson and Tyra Fox were awarded Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference scholarships in Regina in January.

Gracyn Johnson hails from southern Saskatchewan and is a third-year veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medi­cine. She’s also a senior public relations rep with the college’s Production Animal Health Club.

Tyra Fox comes from the Lloydminster, Sask. area. She’s currently attending Lakeland College in Vermilion and plans to enrol in a veterinary program at Oklahoma State University. Fox is also president of the Saskatchewan Junior Angus Association.

4-H Canada named Karen Chambers its National Volunteer Leader of the Year on January 31 in Saskatoon. Chambers hails from Chilliwack, B.C., where she has been leading her 4-H club for over 27 years. The winners of the 4-H Provincial Volunteer Leader of the Year award are: Anna Meakin, Double Diamond 4-H Multi Club (Alta.); Erin Cooper, Eagle Hills Multiple 4-H Club (Sask.); Lenore Vandenbyllaart, Anola Northern Lights (Man.); Kim DeKlein, Mossley Dorchester 4-H Club (Ont.); Cindy Bowen, Hatley 4-H Club (Que.); Maryse Michaud, Les Camarades Forestier (N.B.); Michele Flemming, Riverside 4-H Club (N.S.); and Jacquie Corcoran, Zodiac 4-H Club (N.L.).