By Alice McFarlane

LFCE announces new members of advisory board

Mar 22, 2023 | 3:39 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – A bison rancher from the Fairlight, Sask. district is the new board chair for the Livestock Forage Centre of Excellence.

Robert Johnson owns and operates a bison ranch with his wife Rebecca. The couple have roughly 400 bison cow-calf pairs and feed to the finishing stage about 800 animals annually that are shipped to the United States because processing capacity in Canada is limited. Some of the bison meat is then imported back to Canada and sold as Noble Premium Bison.

Johnson says producers have much to learn from the bison.

“The Northern Great Plains exist today because of the bison. They formed the eco-system through the grazing and their hoof action as the keystone species,” Johnson said. “We keep hearing that we need to graze (cattle) the way the bison do. Why re-invent the wheel? Let them work for us instead of us working for them.”

Johnson said he sees value in participating in setting the direction of important research.

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“It’s really important as an agricultural producer to be part of the conversation whether it’s research or policy. If you don’t get involved, you are on the outside looking in,” Johnson said. “You are not at the table; you are ‘on the menu.’”

Johnson started his second three-year term on Mar.1. The chair position is a one-year commitment.

As the newly elected chair of the board, Johnson said he is looking forward to being a part of crafting the strategic vision of the board.

“It’s really encouraging to see the people who were on the board for the first couple of terms and they developed a real identity for the board. Now, we have new people coming in with new ideas. They are experienced whether it’s in governance or hands-on. We’ve got a really good group,” Johnson said.

The dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Gillian Muir and Dr. Angela Bedard-Haugh, dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources as well as LFCE director Dr. Scott Wright are also involved.

At their Mar. 1 meeting, the advisory board members welcomed three new people who will serve a three-year term.

Calvin Gavelin and his wife operate a mixed farm/ranch with Red Angus cattle near McCord, Sask. In addition to running the cow-calf operation, they background and finish their cattle to supply a farmgate, direct-market beef business. Four years ago, they completed a Holistic Management Course where they learned how to implement regenerative agriculture principles. He has served on many industry boards and was the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Mankota. Gavelin is currently a director-at-large with Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association.

Kyron Manske and his wife own and operate East Poplar Simmentals, a purebred and commercial cow-calf operation near Coronach, Sask. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from USask and is a board member of the Saskatchewan Simmental Association, Saskatchewan Stockgrowers Association and South Saskatchewan Ready, as well as a councillor with the Rural Municipality of Hart Butte.

Dr. Leigh Rosengren and her husband farm near Midale, Sask. She earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology from USask in the early 2000s. More recently, Rosengren completed a Masters of Agribusiness from Kansas State University, which was instrumental in improving the management systems of their grain farm and influential on the decision to disperse the cow-calf herd to consider other opportunities in the sector. Rosengren continues to work in the livestock industry as chief veterinary officer with the Canadian Cattle Association and as an epidemiology consultant.

Stepping down from the board after serving the maximum of two terms are Duane Thompson, Tamara Carter, and Neil Block. All three have served since the board was established in March 2018. Carter will continue as an ex-officio member for the next year, providing support to Johnson.

The Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence is a research facility with a 1,500-head cattle feedlot and a 400-head cowherd, and two bison herds.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW