Canadian Cattle Young Leaders
Dr. Gleise da Silva earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco in Brazil in 2015. Before that, she attended Texas A&M University as an exchange undergraduate student and completed an internship at the North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida. Silva then completed a graduate degree and PhD in animal science at the University of Florida, focusing on beef cattle nutrition and production. In August 2021, Silva joined the department of agricultural, food and nutritional science at the University of Alberta as an assistant professor. She is also the Beef Cattle Research Council Hays Chair in beef production systems. She aims to identify nutritional and management strategies to enhance the productivity and sustainability of the beef cattle sector. Silva’s mentor is market analyst Anne Wasko. Wasko operates Cattle Trends Inc., is the market analyst for Gateway Livestock and operates Bar 4 Bar Land and Cattle Inc. with husband Barry at Eastend, Sask.
Stefan Bouw was raised on a feedlot in the small town of Anola, Man. Bouw earned an agriculture diploma from the University of Manitoba. At that time, he also married his wife, Kendra, and since then they have had four children. Twenty years ago, the Bouw family shifted operations, starting a purebred Angus herd (Edie Creek Angus). Today, their breeding program focuses on maternal traits, and includes the Howrey Angus herd in North Dakota. Bouw has taken the holistic management course and uses its principles to ensure that business decisions benefit his family, the community, biodiversity and profitability. Bouw’s mentor is Jerry Doan, who owns and operates Black Leg Ranching with his wife, Renae, and family in North Dakota. The Doan family follow holistic management principles and run several additional enterprises from the ranch.
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Congratulations to Dr. John McKinnon, who is slated for induction into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame on April 15, 2023. McKinnon is a beef nutrition researcher who has focused on lowering production costs and improving efficiency, as well as using byproduct feeds. He is a professor emeritus from the University of Saskatchewan, a founder of the Western Canadian Feedlot Management School and served as the Saskatchewan beef industry research chair at the University of Saskatchewan for several years. Today McKinnon is a consulting beef nutritionist. Since 2010, he has also penned a column, Nutrition for Canadian Cattlemen.
Also on the induction list are two contributors to The Western Producer: Dorothy Long and Kevin Hursh. Hursh is well known as the former host of CTV Saskatchewan’s Farmgate, as well as for his work with several farm groups in the province. He has a regular column in the Producer. Dorothy Long has leveraged her home economics background to teach the public about food and farming; organized farm tours for dieticians, journalists and food writers; and also occasionally writes for the Western Producer. Rounding out the list of inductees are Laurie Tollefson, for his work in Saskatchewan’s irrigation sector; and Bill Huber, for his ag policy work, including his time as president of Inland Terminals of Canada.
Last month we ran a story about the Spruce Ranching Co-operative, located southwest of Calgary, and its long-time manager Joe Engelhart. Since then, Engelhart has left the Spruce for another position at Bar Diamond Ranch south of Oyen, Alta. Engelhart had been at the Spruce since 1999.
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef recently announced its 2023 executive committee. Nanton-area rancher and feedlot operator Bob Lowe has been voted in for a second term. Lowe is also the past president of the Canadian Cattle Association. Ian McConnel of Tyson Foods also remains president. Rounding out the exec are Texas rancher Bob McCan as immediate past president; Justin Sherrard of Rabobank (secretary-treasurer); and members-at-large Luiza Bruscato (GTPS), Jeannette Ferran Astorga (Zoetis) and Lucas McKelvie (McDonald’s).
Our condolences to the loved ones of Harold Martens of Swift Current, Sask. Martens was born in Herbert, Sask., on September 8, 1941, to Lydia and Eugene Martens. In 1966, he married Sylvia Schroeder. They had three children: Tony, Chad and Joe, and farmed in the Leinan district. In 1982, he entered provincial politics, representing Morse in Saskatchewan’s legislative assembly as a Progressive Conservative. As part of the Grant Devine government, he held the post of associate minister of Agriculture and Food from 1989 to 1991. After the Devine government’s defeat, he served as opposition finance critic and deputy opposition leader. In 1995, he decided not to run again, returning to ranching full-time, and was elected reeve for the RM of Excelsior. He also ramped up his involvement with beef and stewardship organizations, chairing the Swift Current Creek Watershed, co-chairing the PFRA pasture transition committee and serving as president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association from 2011 to 2014. Martens represented the stock growers on the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) board for years, and in turn represented SCA on the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. More recently, he chaired Livestock Services of Saskatchewan from 2013 to 2022. He was recognized for his community involvement with a Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 1978 and a Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005. Martens passed away on January 8, 2023, at the age of 81. In lieu of flowers, his family has asked for donations to West Bank Bible Camp.
