It would be nice if the success of the cattle business depended simply on good beef and willing customers, but today’s industry has become highly politicized, involving complex trade, government and production issues.
To ensure the new generation of leaders has the skills to deal with those issues, the industry has developed the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Development Program. Program co-ordinator Jill Harvie explained the new mentorship program during a recent tour at Harvie Ranch.
“The beef industry has a lot going for it and there are a lot of beef-related career opportunities,” said Harvie, a policy analyst assistant with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
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The three-year mentorship program is a pilot project currently restricted to Alberta and partially funded by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA). The project, launched in July, includes six candidates and their mentors who work in a variety of areas in the cattle industry. Mentorships will be completed by January.
The two categories of mentorship are professional mentorship and industry leader mentorship. Both programs are targeted to young people between the ages of 18 to 35. The program is expected to be implemented nationally later this year, and applications for national participants will be accepted later this fall.
In the professional mentorship component, a candidate who is interested in a beef-related career choice can be mentored by someone already working in the industry. This can help the can- didate make connections in the industry, and understand what it takes to be in that profession, said Harvie.
This program includes options which range from mentoring with a veterinarian to exploring beef science at a company such as Cargill. This option is geared more at people who are just finishing their university studies, who may be in the 18-to 20-year-old age range, she said.
Industry mentors
The industry leader mentorship is targeted towards young producers who are in their 20s to mid-30s, who are already working on beef operations and who want to learn more about what the leaders in the industry are doing. Participants in this program may want to get involved at a provincial level and could be matched with a director from the Alberta Beef Producers, said Harvie.
One of the first participants is Rosie Templeton, a first-year student taking a bachelor of science in agriculture with a focus on agricultural business management at the University of Alberta.
“At this point, I’m hoping to get into something along the lines of communications and marketing,” she said. Templeton, who has been active with 4-H and cattle shows, was raised on a purebred Hereford ranch southeast of Lethbridge and is a 4-H ambassador for Alberta. She has been matched with Dianne Finstad, the agriculture and rodeo director for CKGY Radio in Red Deer.
Another option could be to become involved at the national level by being matched with a Canadian Cattlemen’s Association board member or an affiliate organization to allow the candidate to explore an area of interest such as environmental issues, international trade, research or policy development.
“The industry leadership is where we really team up those future leaders and have them represent our industry in areas such as government forums or producer forums,” said Harvie. This program allows the candidates to observe current leadership and see what is being done to resolve issues facing the industry, he said.
Once candidates complete this program, they will have a chance to represent the CCA youth league on international trips that include conferences, farm tours, round tables and exchanges. This can include the Five Nations beef alliance which encompasses representatives from the beef industries in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Mexico and Canada. “This group really believes that involving the next generation is extremely important to keep our industry going forward,” said Harvie.
For more information and profile of the young leaders visit www.cattlemensyoungleaders.com.
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“The beef industry has a lot going for it and there are a lot of beef-related career opportunities.”
JILL HARVIE
CCA
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“This group really believes that involving the next generation is extremely important to keep our industry going forward.”
JILL HARVIE
CCA
