Cattle group appointment
Bob France has been appointed interim general manager for the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association.
France has been seconded from his position with the B.C. agriculture ministry for the next six months.
The BCCA recently adopted a new strategic plan and felt its implementation required the help of a manager with deep understanding of the industry.
France has an extensive background in agriculture, beginning in 1972 when the agriculture ministry hired him as assistant district agriculturist in Kamloops. In 1982 he became the livestock extension co-ordinator in the Okanagan-Kootenay region and in 1988 he was named livestock specialist. He has worked closely with the cattle industry since then.
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France received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for exemplary public service in 2002 and was named agrologist of the year in 2004 by the B.C. Institute of Agrologists.
New PAMI officials
PAMI, the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, has announced two staff appointments designed to help boost its technical expertise.
Mark Marianchuk, an agricultural engineer, has been hired as project leader. He has worked at PAMI in the past, and for three years has worked for an industrial manufacturer.
Patricia Lung, a chemical engineer, is expected to bring expertise in PAMI’s energy and processing areas.
Both were added to the Saskatchewan operations.
Previously, other expansions were necessary because PAMI recently took responsibility for the operation of the Western Beef Development Centre near Lanigan, Sask.
It has hired Bart Lardner to work as senior research scientist; Kathy Lang as beef economist and Leah Froehlich as a beef research technician.
As well, at the company’s Manitoba operations in Portage la Prairie, it recently hired Michael Knox as a mechanical engineering technologist.
Environmental officials
The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Co., the nonprofit company set up to administer the voluntary environmental farm plan program in Alberta, has elected two new board members.
High River pork producer Dennis McKerracher, a long-time industry player and current Alberta Pork Board member, replaces outgoing board member, Paul Hodgman, assistant general manager of Alberta Pork.
Also new to the board is Somerlee Bennett. Bennett is assistant agricultural fieldman for the County of Wainwright and technician with the Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture program. She has experience with the province’s youth advisory committee and has a background in soil and water conservation.
As of last month, Alberta farmers had applied for more than $2 million in assistance through the Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program.
The CAFSP offers financial assistance to farmers making on-farm environmental improvements. Producers, who can qualify for up to $30,000 per farm,
A complete overview of AEFP activities in 2004 is available in the AEFP 2004 annual report available on the web at www.albertaEFP.com.
