Alberta Beef Producers has altered its usual timing for fall zone meetings as it awaits ministerial approval for several changes already approved by delegates.
That has also moved the delegate nomination deadline to Oct. 15 and zone meetings into late November and early December.
The beef group plans to move to five provincial zones from the previous nine, with seven delegates to be elected in each zone: northwest, northeast, central, southwest and southeast.
That will result in the delegate body numbering 35 rather than the previous 54.
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ABP chair Kelly Smith-Fraser said zone meetings later in fall are expected to better accommodate producers.
“What we’ve heard from producers is that’s not an ideal time,” she said about late October and early November. “A lot of people are just either wrapping up fall work or gathering cattle or getting their calves weaned, doing a lot of that fall crunch time (work) before the snow hits.
“We thought let’s go into the end of November, beginning of December and that hopefully frees up producers’ time to be able to attend the fall meetings.”
Later zone meetings will mean a later date for the annual general meeting, which Smith-Fraser said will coincide with the Alberta Beef Industry Conference to be held in late February or early March 2021.
A smaller delegate body should work well, she added.
“I’m really excited about it. What we’re really looking for is to get our best, our brightest minds, the people that really, really want to be involved in the organization, to enhance the industry.… I think we’re going to see that.”
She said she does not anticipate any challenges in finding enough interested people to run as delegates. To create staggered zone elections in the future, four delegates in each zone will serve two-year terms and three will serve one-year terms.
“I want to see us having elections… a full slate,” said Smith-Fraser. “I just want really good people that want to be engaged and involved and have the knowledge and experience of the industry.”
The positions do require a time commitment so those putting their names forward should be prepared, she added.
“I truly want people to realize that this is a time commitment and we want your time, but it’s also self-satisfying when you give your time. It gives you that opportunity to give back and improve the industry and represent your friends and your fellow producers and your neighbours.”
