Submitted by Charlene Yungblut
Caption: (L-R) Canadian Cattle Youth Council Past President, Charlene Yungblut, with former Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau. Photo credit: Myra Altwasser.
I’m pleased to report we’ve had a busy and productive year as the Canadian Cattle Youth Council. It’s been an honour to lead this group over the past year, where my term as President officially came to an end at our Council’s annual general meeting on August 15, 2023, at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary, AB.
First off, I want to thank Beef Farmers of Ontario for this incredible opportunity to serve as your provincial rep for the past two years. This opportunity to represent young beef farmers and ranchers across Canada, and get more involved with the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) at the national level, would not be possible without your generous support. I look forward to putting these new skills, connections and knowledge to work to do my part to further the success of the Ontario beef industry. A big thank you also goes out to our Council Platinum Partner, New Holland, CCA and all provincial cattle association partners.
Investing in youth to secure a brighter future is a shared goal across various parties and organizations. Putting youth front and centre in the beef industry through the work of our Youth Council has opened doors to new conversations, new connections and new opportunities.
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to represent the next generation of beef farmers and ranchers many times in Ottawa. This included CCA’s BBQ on the Hill to help kick off the fall session of Parliament, the Future of Food Conference to celebrate Canada’s Ag Day, and CCA Director and Board Meetings to provide a youth lens on the policy being shaped at a national level.
Through our engagement, we’ve also had great success connecting with the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council, established by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. After an initial virtual introduction meeting with our respective council executives last fall, we have continued to make progress. It was a pleasure to be invited to join their youth council for a day in Ottawa to discuss ag youth programing availability and priorities, and participate in a youth-focused consultation session on the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.
In March 2023, we attended the CCA annual general meeting in Ottawa and participated in our annual youth fly-in day with 13 meetings with various MPs, senators and government officials. As the Youth Council, we echoed many of CCA’s priorities, such as the importance of effective business risk management programs (specifically Livestock Price Insurance) and the need for free and open trade markets by highlighting record breaking exports and the subsequent value that brings to the Canadian economy. We also emphasized the important role Canada’s cattle producers play as stewards of the land. For our young Canadian producers to continue to be world leaders in environmental sustainability, our farm businesses must also be economically viable. Other highlights included meeting with staff of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and members of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council that CCA doesn’t typically have the opportunity to meet with.
While these conversations have been well-received domestically, some of our youth have also been active on the world stage sharing the message that Canadian cattle producers sustainably raise a high-quality, nutrient rich protein. These events attended alongside CCA include the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef in Denver last fall and the United Nation’s Committee on World Food Security meetings in Rome. This past January, we also participated in the CCA annual youth programs trip to the National Western Stock Show in Denver to build strong relationships with our US counterparts through various meetings and tours. Youth are at the forefront of many of these international dialogues, therefore it’s important youth in the Canadian beef industry have a seat at the table.
A special thanks to the Consulate General of Canada in Denver for providing funding to support our travel to the US. In addition, our young leaders attendance at the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef was made possible through the Rancher Resilience Grant, where the funds were kindly administered through the Canadian Cattle Foundation to make this opportunity possible.
2023 is also an important year for our Youth Council as it marks our 10th anniversary. Over 50 young beef producers from across Canada have held a seat on the Council board since established. We’re proud that many have gone on to succeed in industry leadership roles and look forward to what the next 10 years for the Council holds in store.
In the next year, we look forward to continuing our engagement with our young producer membership by sharing resources on succession planning, hosting webinars on various topics, and amplifying opportunities for next generation to get involved. If you are ages 18-40, we encourage you to sign up as a member for free at www.canadiancattleyouthcouncil.ca
As I transition into the Past President role for my last year on the Council, it is a pleasure to welcome the New Ontario Delegate, Emily Bromley from Renfrew, ON. A priority for our council this past year has been building strong relationships with our provincial partners, and I know Emily will continue to do just that.
The delegates who will be serving on the council as of our August 15, 2023 AGM are as follows:
· BC Delegate, Rylonn Elliot
· Alberta Delegate, Kaylee Chizawsky
· Saskatchewan Delegate, Scott Gerbrandt
· Manitoba Delegate (TBD)
· Ontario Delegate, Emily Bromley
· Quebec Delegate, Syméon Couture
· Atlantic Delegate, Jacob McAffee
· Member at Large, Past President, Charlene Yungblut
· Member at Large, Kimberly Lansdall (Saskatchewan)
· Member at Large, Danika Mayer (Ontario)
A special thank you to our outgoing delegates for their contributions on the council. This includes BC Delegate, Andrea van Iterson, Member at Large, Laura Plett (Manitoba), Manitoba Delegate, Leah Rodvang, Quebec Delegate, Victor Drury, and Past President serving in a Member at Large Position, Carley Stewart (BC).