Locals reps on Beef Producers
By Medicine Hat News on March 11, 2021.
The Alberta Beef Producers have a new chair and board of directors after annual general meeting and virtual voting process last week. All 12 position were elected at large on March 5, and following general session with members, Melanie Wowk, of Beauvallon, Alta. (near Vegreville), was elected new chair. Jason Hale, of Bassano, becomes vice-chair of the industry group, and Brody Haugen, of Orion, returns to the board and will chair the finance committee. Other elected directors were Darren Bevans (Raymond), Colin Campbell (Bon Accord), Rod Carlyon (Westlock), Sheila Hillmer (Del Bonita), Kent Holowath (Rumsey, near Red Deer), Lee Irvine (Cochrane), Chris Israelson (Didsbury), Fred Lozeman (Claresholm), and Mike Nadeau (Beaverlodge). Medicine Hat’s Craig Lehr will represent the ABP on the Beef Cattle Research Council along with board member Irvine. New Ag research board A new board for the province’s Results Driven Agriculture Research effort was elected Tuesday, replacing an interim board put in place when it was created last year. It includes Brian Brewin, the former Taber Reeve and current councillor for Grassy Lake, who is noted for his affiliation with the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers and irrigation districts. Voting took place among the 33 affiliated member organizations that form (RDAR), created to determine research priorities for $37 million in Alberta Agriculture spending. Remaining as chair will be researcher David Chalack, of AltaGenetics, who served on the interim board that also included Cypress County farmer and educator Nichole Neubauer, who retired. The vice-chair will be Melissa Downing, a rancher near Provost who represented the Alberta Verified Beef Production effort. Other new directors include University of Alberta researcher Stan Blade, John Kolk (farmer, Picture Butte), Fred Lozeman (farmer-rancher, Claresholm), J.P. Brouwer (dairy farmer, Ponoka), D’Arcy Hilgartner (farmer, Camrose), Steven Kenyon (rancher-custom grazing, Westlock), and Alberta Wheat Commission director Jason Lenz (farmer, Bentley). 13-12
