Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program Mentors Announced
News Release
September 28, 2010
Calgary, AB – The Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Development Program is pleased to announce the industry leaders who will mentor the Alberta participants in the pilot phase of the mentorship initiative.
The CYL program, a national youth initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), provides industry-specific training and mentorship opportunities to producers between the ages of 18 and 35. This experience will provide CYL participants with the opportunity to explore a potential career choice or involvement with a provincial/national producer organization, while gaining the expertise and business acumen necessary to sustain the cattle industry into the future.
The CYL program also welcomes the Canadian Cattlemen Magazine as an Official Supporter. Canada’s only national beef publication will profile candidates with their mentors in a special section called Young Leaders. These stories will provide readers with insight on the CYL program participants' experiences, with an emphasis of where they see themselves fitting in as a future leader in the beef industry.
The CYL program mentors are:
Mentors: Dr. Michael Jelinski and Dr. Craig Dorin
Area: Animal Health
CYL Participant: Ricki Fleming
Drs. Jelinski and Dorin are managing partners in Veterinary Agri-Health Services Ltd., a beef cattle consulting practice based in Airdrie, AB. The practice focuses on the design, implementation and monitoring of production, health and Beef Quality Assurance protocols for cow/calf and feedlot operations across western Canada.
Drs. Jelinski and Dorin are an affiliate clinic for the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine - Distributed Veterinary Teaching Hospital program and are involved in teaching of 3rd and 4th year students. The duo conduct contract research projects for pharmaceutical companies and are involved in numerous committees related to the beef industry.
Mentor: Judy Nelson
Area: Beef Marketing
CYL Participant: Nanita Blomquist
Nelson and her husband run a commercial cow/calf operation on deeded and Crown land on the eastern slopes of the Livingstone Range, north of Lundbreck, AB.
Nelson is a long-standing delegate for the Alberta Beef Producers (ABP). She also sits as an ABP delegate for the Beef Information Centre (BIC), a committee she currently chairs. Her focus is on promotional and marketing strategies for Canadian beef.
Mentor: Brad Wildeman
Area: Domestic Issues & Foreign Trade
CYL Participant: Keith Ypma
Wildeman has served the CCA for more than 11 years in various capacities including President from 2008 to 2010, and chair of the Foreign Trade Committee. He is currently the CCA’s Past President.
President of Pound-Maker Agventures Ltd., Wildeman oversees a 28,500 head, one-time capacity cattle finishing operation, plus a 13-million-litre ethanol facility located in Lanigan, SK.
Wildeman has received numerous prestigious awards in recognition of his extensive service to the Canadian agriculture and livestock industries. He currently serves as an advisor to the federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, as a member of the Federal Beef Roundtable. Wildeman also chairs a committee for the development of the CYL program.
Mentors: Scott Entz, Derek Hill
Area: Beef Marketing
CYL Participant: Cody Schooten
Entz has spent 22 years with Cargill involved in the North American Meat industry. Trained as an Agriculture Engineer, Entz spent his early career with Cargill leading construction projects to expand Cargill’s beef processing capabilities, including finishing the construction of the High River facility and creating/leading the engineering, rendering and maintenance for the first three years of the facility’s operations.
Throughout his career, Entz has jumped at opportunities to lead Cargill’s further processed red meat business as well as Cargill Meat’s Information Technology and Engineering teams. He is currently based in High River, AB.
Hill is the Facilities Manager at the Cargill Value Added Meats Facility in Spruce Grove, AB. He currently manages the frozen beef patty business that supplies a leading international quick service restaurant (QSR). Serving millions of consumers per day, the plant is heavily focused on food safety and quality.
Prior to moving to Alberta two years ago, Hill held various positions in Cargill’s poultry business in London, ON, also serving the QSR market. Derek is a member of the Alberta Meat and Livestock Agency (ALMA) advisory committee for Innovation and Further Processing.
Mentor: Diane Finstad
Area: Communications
CYL Participant: Rosie Templeton
Finstad is a familiar face and voice in Alberta's farm community. She has spent nearly 30 years covering the agriculture and rodeo beat from Red Deer and has been involved in TV broadcasting, radio and newspaper reporting.
The award-winning Finstad is currently the Agriculture and Rodeo Director for CKGY Radio in Red Deer. Her daily broadcasts on 95.5 FM and other Newcap radio stations keep listeners up to date with developments in the industry.
Mentor: Jordan Buba
Area: Seedstock operation
CYL Participant: Samantha Sperber
Buba, with her family, operate Lewis Farms, a fourth generation family operation which produces grain, seed potatoes and purebred Simmental and Angus cattle. Buba returned to the farm full time following the completion of the Livestock Production diploma course at Lakeland College in 2007.
Lewis Farms calve out about 900 mother cows in two calving periods at two locations. The winter calving is done at the Spruce Grove location, where the crops are grown. The summer cows are calved out at the Sangudo farm, where the majority of summer pasturing is done. Lewis Farms has an annual bull sale at the Spruce Grove location, selling just over 200 Simmental and Angus herd sire prospects.
News Release
September 28, 2010
Calgary, AB – The Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Development Program is pleased to announce the industry leaders who will mentor the Alberta participants in the pilot phase of the mentorship initiative.
The CYL program, a national youth initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), provides industry-specific training and mentorship opportunities to producers between the ages of 18 and 35. This experience will provide CYL participants with the opportunity to explore a potential career choice or involvement with a provincial/national producer organization, while gaining the expertise and business acumen necessary to sustain the cattle industry into the future.
The CYL program also welcomes the Canadian Cattlemen Magazine as an Official Supporter. Canada’s only national beef publication will profile candidates with their mentors in a special section called Young Leaders. These stories will provide readers with insight on the CYL program participants' experiences, with an emphasis of where they see themselves fitting in as a future leader in the beef industry.
The CYL program mentors are:
Mentors: Dr. Michael Jelinski and Dr. Craig Dorin
Area: Animal Health
CYL Participant: Ricki Fleming
Drs. Jelinski and Dorin are managing partners in Veterinary Agri-Health Services Ltd., a beef cattle consulting practice based in Airdrie, AB. The practice focuses on the design, implementation and monitoring of production, health and Beef Quality Assurance protocols for cow/calf and feedlot operations across western Canada.
Drs. Jelinski and Dorin are an affiliate clinic for the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine - Distributed Veterinary Teaching Hospital program and are involved in teaching of 3rd and 4th year students. The duo conduct contract research projects for pharmaceutical companies and are involved in numerous committees related to the beef industry.
Mentor: Judy Nelson
Area: Beef Marketing
CYL Participant: Nanita Blomquist
Nelson and her husband run a commercial cow/calf operation on deeded and Crown land on the eastern slopes of the Livingstone Range, north of Lundbreck, AB.
Nelson is a long-standing delegate for the Alberta Beef Producers (ABP). She also sits as an ABP delegate for the Beef Information Centre (BIC), a committee she currently chairs. Her focus is on promotional and marketing strategies for Canadian beef.
Mentor: Brad Wildeman
Area: Domestic Issues & Foreign Trade
CYL Participant: Keith Ypma
Wildeman has served the CCA for more than 11 years in various capacities including President from 2008 to 2010, and chair of the Foreign Trade Committee. He is currently the CCA’s Past President.
President of Pound-Maker Agventures Ltd., Wildeman oversees a 28,500 head, one-time capacity cattle finishing operation, plus a 13-million-litre ethanol facility located in Lanigan, SK.
Wildeman has received numerous prestigious awards in recognition of his extensive service to the Canadian agriculture and livestock industries. He currently serves as an advisor to the federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, as a member of the Federal Beef Roundtable. Wildeman also chairs a committee for the development of the CYL program.
Mentors: Scott Entz, Derek Hill
Area: Beef Marketing
CYL Participant: Cody Schooten
Entz has spent 22 years with Cargill involved in the North American Meat industry. Trained as an Agriculture Engineer, Entz spent his early career with Cargill leading construction projects to expand Cargill’s beef processing capabilities, including finishing the construction of the High River facility and creating/leading the engineering, rendering and maintenance for the first three years of the facility’s operations.
Throughout his career, Entz has jumped at opportunities to lead Cargill’s further processed red meat business as well as Cargill Meat’s Information Technology and Engineering teams. He is currently based in High River, AB.
Hill is the Facilities Manager at the Cargill Value Added Meats Facility in Spruce Grove, AB. He currently manages the frozen beef patty business that supplies a leading international quick service restaurant (QSR). Serving millions of consumers per day, the plant is heavily focused on food safety and quality.
Prior to moving to Alberta two years ago, Hill held various positions in Cargill’s poultry business in London, ON, also serving the QSR market. Derek is a member of the Alberta Meat and Livestock Agency (ALMA) advisory committee for Innovation and Further Processing.
Mentor: Diane Finstad
Area: Communications
CYL Participant: Rosie Templeton
Finstad is a familiar face and voice in Alberta's farm community. She has spent nearly 30 years covering the agriculture and rodeo beat from Red Deer and has been involved in TV broadcasting, radio and newspaper reporting.
The award-winning Finstad is currently the Agriculture and Rodeo Director for CKGY Radio in Red Deer. Her daily broadcasts on 95.5 FM and other Newcap radio stations keep listeners up to date with developments in the industry.
Mentor: Jordan Buba
Area: Seedstock operation
CYL Participant: Samantha Sperber
Buba, with her family, operate Lewis Farms, a fourth generation family operation which produces grain, seed potatoes and purebred Simmental and Angus cattle. Buba returned to the farm full time following the completion of the Livestock Production diploma course at Lakeland College in 2007.
Lewis Farms calve out about 900 mother cows in two calving periods at two locations. The winter calving is done at the Spruce Grove location, where the crops are grown. The summer cows are calved out at the Sangudo farm, where the majority of summer pasturing is done. Lewis Farms has an annual bull sale at the Spruce Grove location, selling just over 200 Simmental and Angus herd sire prospects.
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