“That’s the great part about our industry – there is a place for everyone,” says Levi Hurlburt, one of 24 semi-finalists of the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program. In August, he will join the rest of the semi-finalists, including three others from Saskatchewan, for the annual Canadian CYL Selections competition held at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon.
The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program is a national program of the Canadian Cattle Association that provides young people ages 18-35 with industry-specific training and mentorship opportunities. Each year, 24 semi-finalists are selected from submitted applications and invited to participate in the selections competition, where they engage in judged roundtable discussions on industry topics. From the 24, sixteen candidates are selected to participate in the Canadian CYL Program where they are matched with an expert in the delegate’s specific field of interest for a nine-month mentorship.
Levi is no stranger to the CYL program. He was a semi-finalist last year and has been accepted as a semi-finalist again this year. His interest in the program developed after his brother participated and gave positive feedback on it. The chance to learn more about the beef industry from people outside of his inner circle, access professional development opportunities and grow his network was an opportunity Levi couldn’t pass up.
Levi has been involved in the beef industry his entire life. Growing up on a seed stock Gelbvieh and Balancer operation just outside of Saskatoon, SK, instilled in him a passion for the industry. Now, he is an Account Manager with Canadian Cattle Buyers Credit and helps on his family’s ranch whenever time allows.
When sharing about his experience at Selections last year, Levi said, “I didn’t really know what to expect from Selections, but it was an awesome experience with a really elite group of people.” This year he is coming back feeling even more prepared and ready for another chance at being in the CYL program, this time, with the comfort of CYL Selections being in his backyard.
“Even if I don't get selected this year again, it's really worth it to grow my network, meet people from all over the country, and to learn”, said Levi, as he expressed how valuable the CYL program is. It is beneficial to not only the individuals that participate in it, but to the Canadian cattle industry as well. There is a vast amount of knowledge that exists among cattle producers from across the country and a structured setting that fosters collaboration and sharing that knowledge is beyond valuable.
Colleagues and competitors in the cattle industry are one in the same, says Levi, but the cattle industry is unique. There is industry-wide commitment to sharing knowledge and a desire to see everyone succeed. That mentality transfers to the Cattle Young Leaders Selection competition. “I don’t think you could find many other industries like ours. The fact that everyone wants their fellow competitors to do well too is a sign that the cattle industry is in a healthy state,” shared Levi.
For more information about the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders, visit www.canadiancattleyoungleaders.ca or contact Cailey Church, Youth Leadership Coordinator, at churchc@cattle.ca .
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