Broadening the experiences of tomorrow's producers

by Matthew Wright

There is a saying that the future lies in the hands of our youth. In the world of cattle production, the new generation starts by getting down and dirty feeding and raising cattle. But there’s another aspect of the industry seldom seen, because of lack of opportunity; that involve the broader issues occurring off the farm that affect every aspect of their business.

So it was with great fanfare that four Manitoba 4-H Beef Club members attended two days of the recent Canadian Cattlemen’s Association Semi-annual Convention held in Winnipeg in mid-August. It was an eye opening experience.

“I learned a lot about the cattle industry,” said 18 year-old Larissa Hamilton from Glenboro, Manitoba and a 4-H member for nine years. “It made me realize it takes a lot of people and time to get problems solved in the cattle industry.”

The quartet began their visit at the president’s reception on Tuesday night where they welcomed and met many guests, speakers and leaders in the agricultural industry including Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Rosann Wowchuk, CCA president Brad Wildeman and MCPA president Martin Unrau.

On Wednesday the group attended a day long seminar where they heard from industry experts on everything from environmental planning to what the future holds for cattle producers.

“All of the guest speakers spoke about something different but they all related to the cattle industry. They were all very knowledgeable and confident about this industry, even though we all know that there are problems. I think it kept everyone confident about owning cattle,” Hamilton said.

The conference attendees were bussed to the Hitchin’ Post banquet hall near Grosse Isle that evening for an meal and entertainment that included a live auction. The 4-H members strutted their stuff, showcasing the many donated items auctioned off by John Lamport of Winnipeg Livestock. The proceeds from the evening were split evenly between the national 4-H Club and the Manitoba 4-H Beef Club. In total, $2,360 was raised that night.

The group also had the chance to hang out and get acquainted with one another.
“Also I made friends with the other 4-H’ers that were invited, we had lots of fun together, and learned more about the industry that we can take back to our clubs,” Hamilton said.

The other three 4-H members who attended the conference were Dillon Hunter, 15, from Kenton; Joe Lindal, 17, from Fisher Branch; and Matthew Riding, 18, from Lake Francis.
The members were sponsored through a joint partnership between the MCPA and the CCA that covered the member’s registration and accommodation costs.